Breathless
by Ichon
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke had always maintained a complex relationship.Yet,despite their clashing persona's,a bond emerged between them,however delicate. One boy's health is rapidly declining. By chance or mistake,the two friends find themselves living together. The ice they walk is thin,but how else can Sasuke think to save his friend? The question stands:what's wrong with Naruto?SasuNaru
1. No Pain, No Game

_**Warning: Contains Yaoi/boyxboy (SasuNaru)**_

**Breathless**

Chapter 1:

No Pain, No Game

His eyes fluttered open as a chill, wet drop of water landed on his cheek. Eyes flashing a clear blue, gazed lazily about through half-lidded eyes. At first, he was puzzled, unable to recall what had happened, but soon he remembered where he was. He'd been training since early morning in the woods and, after downing a quick lunch had decidedly taken a nap; needless to say, he'd overslept. He now lay on the spongy jade grass, limbs sprawled and stretched out comfortably.

Drip…drip, drip…

Another water droplet landed upon his sun-kissed skin, several more soon in its wake. He glanced up at the sky, stricken with shock. The sky was a dark rolling sea, pitching and groaning from deep within its bowels. Inky clouds overwhelmed the sky and the wind exhaled abruptly.

"Crap!" he chided himself as he sat up; a bit too quickly though, causing his head to spin for a second. "I slept way too long!"

Shifting to his feet, the blond cast his sight about hurriedly, finally settling on the familiar trail after a few tense moments; he darted up into the tree branches as he trekked his way back, trying feebly to shield himself from the quickly forming deluge.

The storm discharged mercilessly, uncultivated and livid. Naruto faced the brunt of the onslaught as he hurdled from branch to branch, whipping his exposed face and neck with icy rain and wind.

"I have to get home before this storm gets any worse-" He was cut short as a spark of light illuminated the sky overhead and the crack that lashed out after jarred his senses.

Naruto shuddered and lost his footing.

Next thing he knew, a sweltering pain shot through his skull, leaving his ears ringing and spreading its sting throughout his entire body thereafter. He screeched in pain; a cry that rivaled that of the thunder. Another burst of lightning and thunder echoed and Naruto's body unwillingly cringed, jerking back in alarm. He groaned as a fresh wave of agony swelled up his nervous system.

The concussion made it hard to focus, his vision swimming. The boy paused for a moment, confused at the happenings around him. He attempted to move, only to nearly bite his tongue off. His leg throbbed as he attempted to stir it, battered as it was from the awkward fall.

Stifling a scream, he rolled over so that he was on his hands and knees, winded and gasping for breath. The village! He had to get home!

The rain was relentless and it showed no signs of letting up. Carefully, he made to stand, endeavoring to shift his weight on his uninjured leg, but found it futile. His legs merely buckled beneath him, sending him sprawling into the mud. '_What's going on…?' _he thought blearily, brain suddenly tipping away into hollow awareness.

Fatigue was setting in, his mind going blank as he teetered on the brink of consciousness. "Naruto…!" He faintly heard his name being called, albeit it sounded so far off… A dark shadow emerged, but he fainted soon after.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, still dazed. He was tucked away in a bed, he noted after a few minutes, dark silken covers upon his body. The room he was in was spacious but warm with mahogany wood floors and dark blue walls. The boy blinked to clear his foggy outlook and slowly noticed the finer details.

There were two dressers, polished black in color with elegant pale-white lamps adorning their tops. Left of the bed was a modest window, curtains the same shade of white closed in front of it. Toward the right of the bed, on the far wall he spied a large bathroom, its door half open.

Everything was neat and tidy, resembling one of those 'model homes'.

'_What a clean house…?... Huh! Wait a minute! This…this isn't my apartment!' _he thought nervously, slowly sitting up on the bed. "W-WHERE THE HELL AM I!" he screamed, horrified.

The door to the room opened and a familiar voice spoke. "You're finally awake, dobe?"

'_That voice…'_ Naruto turned to face the door, trying to ignore how the world seemed to tip all of a sudden. "Sasuke?" he asked stupidly.

"Yes," came the mocking response.

"Wha-what's going on? Where am I? And what are you doing here?"

Sasuke was leaning against the frame of the door; his face expressionless as he studied the younger male. Pushing off, he made his way over to Naruto, remarking, "I heard a scream."

Naruto's gaze unfocused momentarily.

"Didn't think much of it at first," he continued slowly, watching the blonde's face. "But I eventually checked it out. …I found you on the ground. You were in bad shape, not to mention depleted of chakra," he gestured to the room with his hands, "and here you are. I saved your butt." The teen paused, eyeing Naruto worriedly before continuing. "You should rest. It's still pretty early in the morning and you didn't sleep too well, I had to wake you up every hour. Even and _idiot_ like you needs to rest." He was surprised the boy did not recall being wakened. He wondered if he should still be wary of the concussion.

"Oh…" he muttered. Realization hit him. "Hey, hey! I am NOT an idiot, Sasuke-_teme_! Besides, I feel fine!" Naruto lied swinging his legs over the side of the bed; he had to spare some amount of dignity. "You see," he continued, "I'm just fi-" A sudden shock of pain cut him off when he placed weight on his injured leg. With black spots in his vision, he collapsed. The blond braced for the impact, but before he hit the ground strong arms caught him by his middle and pulled him towards a firm body.

"Are you OK?" Sasuke asked; his worry leaking through the words.

"Y-Yeah…I…I think so…" Naruto responded; his voice a bit weak.

"…Heh, dobe."

"Hey! Don't call me that, bastard!" he grumbled irritably, his brain was yet swooning. He looked down and for the first time noticed his position. His chest was pressed against the raven's and their faces were uncomfortably close.

A deep blush painted the younger boy's face as he realized their proximity. '_This…isn't…right…' _he thought; his breath came shaky as he exhaled into Uchiha's face.

Sasuke took in the saccharine sent of Naruto, engraving it into his memory. He was quite enjoying their position and, frankly, didn't feel like moving away. _'Unwise…this may not be mutual…'_ Sasuke thought bitterly. Out of the blue, a loud rumbling was heard in the room causing Naruto to all but jump.

"I-Is it still th-thundering outside?" Naruto asked in a small, stuttering voice.

Wholly unexpected, it came as a shock to the dark-haired lad. Without warning, he burst out laughing; a tuneful chuckle that Naruto had never heard before. '_Does he seriously not realize that was his stomach?'_ Sasuke marveled silently.

"H-Hey! What's so funny you bastard?" Naruto questioned angrily, leaning even closer to Sasuke (if possible) and grabbing the neck of his shirt. Sasuke was so distracted by his humor that when the boy leaned in, he lost his balance and fell backwards, bringing Naruto down with him.

"Ugh!" cried Naruto as he landed atop his teammate; his skull punished him and he quickly cupped his ears.

Sasuke had ceased laughing in that instant, locking eyes with the blond when the tired blues reopened. His mind was unexpectedly lost in the cobalt depths that were Naruto's eyes. Blindly, he lifted his hand and placed it on the side of Naruto's face, his thumb delicately tracing the whisker-like scars in the kitsune's cheek.

The blond was at a loss of words as the black haired boy caressed his cheek with a pale hand. "S-Sa…suke…?" he managed to whisper.

The older male was severed of his daze when the younger boy blinked and his face flared red upon noticing his actions. Quickly, but gently, he grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and lifted him up along with himself. After carefully depositing him on the bed, he hurried out of the room with naught another word.

Naruto was confused, and dizzy, not fully comprehending what had happened. Lying back down on the soft bed he sighed, tucking his hands behind his head. His eyelids drooped as sleep began to overtake him. He didn't fight the exhaustion and soon fell out cold.

Sasuke lingered a few minutes before chancing a peek through the door. His tempest eyes fell upon a sleeping teen; he could hear the soft snores emanating from the slightly opened mouth. A brief smile graced his features and he let out a relieved sigh.

_'I'm lucky he fell asleep and didn't ask questions. I can't believe I acted that way in front of him. Damn it! I'm such an idiot! The last thing I want to do is freak him out, let alone ruin our friendship!' _He mentally kicked himself and shook the thought away. '_…It's Naruto. I'm fine; he'll forget it all happened.' _This calmed him a tad.

"…Naruto's stomach was growling," he mused. "Suppose I'll get him something to eat..."

* * *

Upon awakening from the inadequate nap, his stomach protested ferociously with hunger. He ignored it and remained on the bed, staring at the ceiling above him, too tired to move.

Again his stomach growled, only louder this time. "Shut up," he told his tummy, but it disregarded his command and continued.

"Hungry?"

"Huh?" Naruto uttered, glancing over toward the door where Sasuke stood baring a tray of food.

He walked over casually and placed the tray atop the table near the bed. Then he sat beside Naruto and grabbed a bowl and spoon off the tray, setting it onto his lap.

Naruto sat up straight and looked happily at the raven haired boy.

"I made some chicken noodle soup," he said; his voice gentle and calm. As he spoke, the sweet aroma of the broth reached Naruto's nose. His mouth watered at the sight and smell now even more so due to the lack of nutrition in his body.

Naruto almost cried. "YAAAYYYY!" he yelled out in joy. "Food, Food, FOOD! Thank you Sasuke! Thank you!" He bounced up and down on his rear, only to halt when it did not agree with his head.

Sasuke smiled slightly then filled the spoon. He blew softly at the liquid in the spoon and held it out for Naruto. "Say ahh."

A sudden look of confusion washed over Naruto's face. He tilted his head to the side cutely and said, "Huh?"

Sasuke blushed and quickly looked away. "I'll do the feeding; knowing you, you'll chug it and end up choking," he mumbled.

"Oh…" Naruto said in bewilderment and his own cheeks mirrored the blush. He then slowly leaned closer till his lips touched the spoon ever so lightly.

"Um, alright…" he whispered and sipped.

It tasted like heaven; rich and creamy with a wonderful hint of something he couldn't quite place. It soothed his dry throat and stomach with its wet warmth. "Oh, WOW!" he shouted gleefully. "It's delicious, Sasuke!"

A pleased smirk settled on the other's face at the blondes' reaction. "Hn. Open up then."

"Mmmhm!" he nodded and complied.

When the meal was finished, he sat back and grinned, all cheeks. "Man that was good!" Naruto complimented as he rubbed his stomach happily. He faintly recalled that this was the first time he'd had an appetite in a while. Sasuke had left the room to wash the plates.

That's when he happened to look down at himself, noticing his apparent change in dress. He was wearing a loosely fitted, light-blue t-shirt with a pair of black boxers and gray pair of pants. The pants were slightly big on him and had slipped down just enough so the underclothing was visible to Naruto.

He gasped as he looked at himself. He glanced at his back and saw the Uchiha fan emblem on the shirt. '_Humph, figures. This freaking sign is on all his cloths…..But wait a sec, __**how**__ did I get into these cloths? And more importantly, WHO dressed me?' _The blond swallowed hard and his face once again shone red. '_Was it S-Sasuke…?' _he wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock somewhere in the house. Straining his ears, he heard a door open and some muffled voices as footsteps headed in his direction.

* * *

Sasuke opened the front door to greet Kakashi and Sakura. He'd recently called Kakashi, informing him about Naruto, but was not at all shocked by the sudden appearance of the kunoichi.

The two stepped in and said their hellos. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" came the cheery greeting from the pink haired girl.

"Hn," Sasuke hummed, uninterested. "Naruto is in my room," he finished and led them down the hallway.

Sakura frowned at the rejection, but followed nevertheless.

As soon as Sasuke opened the door, the blond kitsune's face lit up. "Sakura-Chan! Kakashi-sensei! What are you guys doing here?" he questioned happily.

"Well," Kakashi explained as he approached Naruto and sat down on the bed next to him. "We came to see you. Sasuke called and told me what had happened, so we came to see how you were doing." He smiled as he said this. (Well, it was hard to tell through the freaking mask that completely covered his face; with the exception of one eye, so one could only guess his expressions.)

"Really?" he marveled, thrilled at their concern.

"Yes, really," Kakashi answered.

A cheeky smile covered Naruto's slender face. Kakashi's brows pulled together as he noticed how thin the boy was. "Naruto…" he began, "have you been eating?"

The boy looked down; his smile fading. "Of course…" he lied. '_I can't tell Kakashi-sensei that all the grocery store owners won't let me in…and I haven't even been hungry very much lately…"_

"Oh, really?" he pressed. '_We all know he's lying, so why does he deny it? It's plain as day that he's lost a lot of weight. He'd look so much cuter if he wasn't so skinny…' _Kakashi thought.

Sakura had just stopped drooling over Sasuke—who was ignoring her completely; concentrating on his sensei and best friend—enough to notice her teammate's condition. She turned and approached the blue eyed boy. "Yeah, Naruto. You're a wreck! What happened to your leg?"

Naruto turned to face Sakura and looked into her lovely green eyes. "Um, heheh, I guess I hurt it," he said while scratching the back of his head out of habit.

"You 'guess'? Man you are such an idiot! How can you not know what happened?" she wailed; agitated by the blonde's ignorance.

"Well—" Naruto tried to explain but he was cut off by Sasuke.

"He had a concussion. He probably can't remember some things."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke and then away out of embarrassment. "Oh…"

Kakashi then spoke. "Naruto let me see your leg."

"Um, OK…" he replied and obeyed.

Kakashi took Naruto's thin, right leg gently and examined it for a moment. He then put both hands on the blonde's ankle and squeezed it a little. "Tell me when it hurts," he said as he moved his hands up Naruto's leg, exerting mild pressure as he did so.

When Kakashi reached Naruto's knee, the boy flinched. "Ouch…" he whispered.

"Hmm…" the jounin murmured, perturbed as he shifted his hands up the leg. Each time he squeezed Naruto's thigh, the boy squealed in pain. "It's not broken…just a bit banged up; probably a stressed muscle or two," he concluded.

Naruto sighed in relief. "Thank god," he breathed.

"That's great," Sasuke added, his tone and face unreadable.

"It sure is!" Sakura agreed (she always agreed with Sasuke). "Here, Naruto, take these." She said handing Naruto a medicine bottle containing a bunch of small pink pills. "They're pain killers, but highly concentrated, so don't overdose."

Naruto took the pills gratefully and said, "Thanks Sakura-Chan!...Um, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes?" asked the silver haired ninja.

"Your hand?" he said pointing at the man's appendage which rested on the inside of his upper thigh, poking into his pants (well Sasuke's pants, but you get the point).

"Oh my! I'm sorry," he lied; reluctantly pulling his hand back. '_I was rather enjoying that too,' _Kakashi thought.

'_Pervert-sensei,'_ Naruto concluded in his mind.

"What now?" Sasuke asked.

"Well," Kakashi began, reflecting on the situation, "Naruto cannot train or go on any missions for at least two weeks." He turned to Naruto. "And I suggest that you eat more and refrain from heavy lifting. Also, avoid walking too much or putting any more strain on your leg. It will be sore for a while so the pain killers that Sakura gave you would do you well."

"WHAT?" Naruto whined loudly, dejected at the thought of inaction.

"What about his head injury?" Sasuke posed, as if Naruto hadn't even spoken.

The jounin paused to assess the damage to the blonde's skull. "Since he didn't sustain any cuts or fractures to the bone, I'd say he should just take things easy for a while," Kakashi suggested.

"He can't be left alone Kakashi-sensei! The idiot will just get himself into more trouble!" Sakura hinted; raising one eyebrow at her sensei as if he was stupid not to notice. "And what if he lapses? If the concussion had any lasting effects…"

The older man, nodded, dark eyes glistened as he toyed with the thought. "Sakura, you have a point. He needs to be watched."

"HELLO! I'm right here! I can make my own decisions, ya' know!" the boy yelled, waving his arms up and down dramatically.

The others took no notice and continued to talk.

Kakashi idly scratched his chin, then said, "I know! Naruto can stay with me—"

"That's okay Kakashi, but he's already here with me. He might as well stay," Sasuke remarked, cutting Kakashi off.

An awkward silence overcame the room. All eyes were on Sasuke. Sakura's jaw dropped to the ground and Kakashi glared at the black haired boy in envy, astonishment and annoyance. Naruto had ceased his yelling and stared wide-eyed at Sasuke.

Sakura was the first one to speak. "S-Sasuke, you're joking right? I mean who would want to put up with Naruto?"

Sasuke felt a mounting resentment as the strawberry-haired girl said this. Taking a deep breath he answered, "No, Sakura, I'm not joking. I can take whatever that idiot can throw at me. He can stay here with me." He shot a glance at Kakashi, "If, it's alright with you?" This was more of a challenge rather than a question.

'_Touché Sasuke. But you will not keep Naruto away from me forever.' _Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Um, of c-course. You're right, best not to move him around… What do you think about it, Naruto?"

They turned to look at the blue eyed boy. He was just sitting there; a surprised expression frozen in his visage.

"Naruto?" Sakura questioned.

He blinked after what seemed an eternity before his jaw fell open. Then came the yelling. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T BE LEFT ALONE? And how come you guys choose where I stay? Wait a minute…._WHY_ do I have to stay with _Sasuke_! Of all the people in this village, why does it have to be the most snobby, emo, inexpressive guy known to Earth?" he fumed, shaking an accusing finger at the dark haired boy.

"UZUMAKI NARUTOOOOO!" screeched Sakura; hate dripping from every word as she approached the blond like a predator. "How DARE you call Sasuke those names!" She cracked her knuckles.

Inner Sakura: _I'm gonna strangle that brat!_

Suddenly she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder tightly. Turning her head somewhat she looked to see Sasuke next to her, grinning, black eyes gleaming.

"S-Sasuke?" she asked quizzically.

"Well," he said, eyes fixated on Naruto's face, "It's decided then. Naruto will be staying with me until he gets better." The kitsune gulped.

'_W-What's his d-deal…?'_ the blond wondered, feeling the hairs stand on the back of his neck.

'_Retribution,' _Sasuke promised.

"Are you sure, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, praying that this was merely a joke.

"Yeah, Sasuke. Naruto can be a handful. If you're not up to the task, you should leave him to me," Kakashi hinted.

"That's alright. I can handle him," the raven haired boy answered quickly.

There looked no point in arguing, Sasuke seemed firm in his decision, so, ultimately, Sakura and Kakashi resigned, grudgingly accepting it and escorted themselves out once goodbyes were said and done.

"So," Sasuke said, turning to Naruto with a wicked grin, "I'm the most 'snobby, emo, inexpressive guy known to Earth', am I?"

* * *

**Yay! My first fanfic so don't kill me if it's bad! I hope you all like it! Reviews are begged for!**

**(slightly edited)**

**Kit**


	2. An Interesting First Day

_**Warning: Contains Yaoi (SasuNaru)**_

Chapter 2:

An Interesting First Day

"_So," Sasuke said, turning to Naruto and grinning evilly, "'I'm the most 'snobby, emo, inexpressive guy known to Earth', am I?"_

Naruto swallowed nervously as Sasuke approached him. "Um, S-Sasuke?" the kitsune stuttered, wary of the look the older boy was giving him.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously, frown bending his face. His eyebrow twitched irately as he loomed over the younger male. "Heheh, I was only kidding…Sasuke…?"

The raven haired boy began to crack his knuckles; an evil grin averring his face once more. "Let's drill this into your thick head. I saved you, therefore, you _will_ be thankful and _not_ complain!" he roared pitching forward, fist cocked at the younger boy's face.

Naruto balked, closing his eyes in trepidation of the blow when suddenly he felt two fingers press against his forehead. Reopening his eyes, he blinked uncomprehendingly at the appendages, lips parting as if to question.

"…Baka…" muttered the raven pushing his hand forward and nudging the boy's forehead. Naruto, whether it was by bewilderment or force, lost balance and tipped backward onto the bed.

A surprised squeak escaped him as he landed on the mattress. He remained frozen for several seconds before scrambling back up to see a retreating Sasuke.

Naruto was at a loss for words; he certainly was not expecting such a reaction. Not that he didn't welcome the result; he was nevertheless puzzled by it.

Flopping back down on the bed he tried to make sense of Sasuke's behavior. "I thought I was in for it…What a weird thing to do…" Coming to a dead end, he sighed and pulled the covers over him, feeling the sleep beckon his body and mind. "Teme…" he mumbled, before slipping off.

* * *

He awoke the next morning dizzy, head aching mildly. "Ugh…I hate this," he said, massaging his temples.

Slowly he pulled the covers off himself and slid his legs over the side of the bed. He sat there for a moment, then stood, gripping the bed for support.

He gradually made his way to the bathroom, but when he tried to open the door, it was locked. He stared at it stupidly for a second before slamming his fist to it.

"What?" came an irritated response.

"Open up! I need to use the bathroom!" he yelled.

"Well wait 'cause I'm taking a shower."

"I don't care if you're meeting with the Hokage in there, I have to go!"

"Tuff!" retorted Sasuke.

"Fine! I'll just go piss on your couch or something!"

"If you do, I swear I'll kill you!" the raven threatened.

"You'll have to come out to do so!"

Everything immediately went silent. After a minute or so, Sasuke slammed open the door, storming out. Naruto glared at his retreating back. '_Jerk…'_ he thought, then smirked and walked in, feeling the small victory dust his shoulders.

* * *

Breakfast was ready by the time Naruto limped into the kitchen. "Wow, smells good!" he remarked merrily, relishing his newfound hunger.

A smile graced the elder's lips but was left unnoticed as he turned away.

The meal consisted of freshly cooked pancakes and bacon. Warmth settled in the pit of the raven's stomach as he saw wholesome appreciation radiate from the younger boy. The repast was consumed in a tranquil silence.

"Hey, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, inattentively picking at his food.

"Hm?" the blond responded as he stuffed yet another pancake into his mouth. Who knew Sasuke could make such good pancakes?

"…Why don't we take you to Tsunade-sama? She could heal your leg," he offered. It bothered him to see Naruto suffer pain—unless he was the intentional cause, that is.

"Nope," the blond said flatly. "She'd kill me if she found out I got hurt again." He leaned back in his chair, blowing a stray bang from his nose. "You think we could go to my apartment? I want to check things out."

"Sure, if you want. Just get dressed and we'll go. I washed your cloths last night. You'll find them in the top drawer."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You wash cloths?"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and said, "Of course, you idiot. I'm no pig."

Naruto glared. "Tch! Just didn't take you for being the cleaning type."

"Look who's talking. I bet you haven't cleaned anything in your life!"

"Oh, shut up, teme!" the younger yelled, shoving his chair back with a huff before making his way back to the room.

* * *

Naruto emerged from the room dressed in his preferred attire: orange slacks and a black t-shirt topped with his orange jacket. He smiled cheekily—argument already forgotten—and limped towards Sasuke. "Alright, let's go!" he announced loudly, opening the front door.

Warm sunlight and a crisp breeze greeted him, tousling his messy locks.

"Fine then," Sasuke said as he scooped Naruto into his arms and took to the rooftops. For a second he went off balance, bracing for Naruto's weight, but, much to his concern, the boy proved awfully light; evidently underweight.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?" Naruto stuttered, cheeks flushing as he wiggled in the other's arms.

"Carrying you," he answered, said as though it were the most obvious and ordinary thing in the world.

The blond was about to protest further, but halted as he was pressed closer into the elder's chest.

Naruto peered up at Sasuke—who was looking straight ahead—only to be stunned. The morning sun was shining vivid rays upon the raven, highlighting the sharp lines of his young face. His faultless pale skin seemed to glow in the light; his dark hair contrasting against the soft color. Something in his onyx eyes bared a glimmer of contentment to which the blond could not place.

The firm chest fascinated Naruto. His breath so steady, so strong and the warmth he radiated dizzied the twelve-year-old.

'_He's so…beauti—Huh? Yeesh! I did NOT just think that. Ugly. With a capital 'U','_ Naruto mused, mentally kicking himself. That concussion must've been worse than he'd originally thought. He certainly didn't like, like Sasuke…right?

'_As if he'd choose me either way…'_ As the conviction flickered by, he frowned; mood turned sour and self-hating.

Would he always be this way…?

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, snapping him back into reality.

"H-Huh? What?" he chirped, earning him a weird look.

"Where is your apartment?"

"Oh, um, it's the building over there." He pointed to a three story building straight ahead.

It was a poorly kept apartment complex. The paint was old and fading and the roof looked crooked and worn. Grass grew so tall, so wild it looked practically inaccessible. Weeds clung to the dirty walls, cracks birthing here and there while the stench of garbage lingered in the air.

All in all, it was gross.

The raven haired teen jumped to one of the outside stairways that Naruto had pointed at. It went up to the third floor, through a door and into a hallway. They stopped in front of a door with the number 516 engraved in it. Sasuke let the blond down to open the door and followed him in.

It was a remarkable discrepancy from what the outside was. Albeit small, it was welcoming. In fact, Naruto maintained it in fine condition. Most everything was tidy, save for a few of ramen bowls scattered around the couch and floor of the small living room and a pair of boxers by the room door (which Sasuke examined interestedly until Naruto snatched them with a blush and hid them).

'_I suppose I take back what I said. He keeps this place pretty clean.'_ Sasuke was relieved to find that the apartment smelled quite nice. The scent of Naruto, which was a sweet, yet spicy smell, enveloped his senses, giving him a nice buzz.

"So what did you want to check up on?" Sasuke asked, attempting to distract himself from the intoxicating scent.

Sasuke could not place the odd sensation that overcame him whenever he neared the blond. At first, he'd assumed it was annoyance with the younger boy. It wasn't uncommon for the unpredictable ninja to get under people's skin, but when the feeling developed over time, he realized it was something…else. He _wanted_ the kitsune's company and enjoyed it.

Something about his demeanor, the gleam in his eye had rapt the Uchiha. There was no right way to explain such a lure, such a fascination. And it was this fascination that drove Sasuke to question…himself.

He recalled the endless nights he'd sat restless atop his roof, pondering his dilemma under the starry abyss, the days spent stealing glimpses of his fixation in hopes to come to terms with his emotions. It was difficult, but he knew something inimitable was there. For his own sake and for the sake of their friendship, though, he'd kept mostly to himself.

Still, he couldn't help the times where he inevitably opened up; and when he did, however little, the boy had always accepted him eagerly.

Naruto had not only become his best and only friend, he had become the reason for him to live; a reason other than exacting revenge for his departed clan.

"Eh? Uh, nothing much," Naruto replied sheepishly. "Just wanted to check up is all."

"Hn, whatever."

Sasuke peered around, taking note of the little amount of possessions the younger boy had. After a minute, he smirked and strolled over, flopping down on the couch.

"Oi, dobe!" he called, gaining the younger boy's attention. "If I were you, I'd snag some clothes unless _nudity_ is your thing since you're not borrowing my clothes anymore." He grinned wickedly.

Naruto burst in pink. "E-Eh? Ah! You're such a pervert Sasuke! And stop calling me that! I'm only staying with you 'cause I was _forced _to, not 'cause I _want_ to. Get that through your thick, arrogant head." With that said, he marched (despite his limp) into his room, the Uchiha eventually following with a smug grin.

* * *

"What worries me is that he isn't healing," said a blond woman, deceivingly youthful in looks. Her brows furrowed together in thought. "Usually, the Kyuubi would heal his wounds relatively quick. So why is it not doing so now?"

"I wish I knew," Kakashi answered, a bit concerned himself for the genin.

"I'll have to check on the brat myself and see what's wrong…You are dismissed, for now," she sighed, turning to gaze out the window.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," the silver headed man muttered curtly before vanishing in a breath of smoke.

'_Something doesn't feel right about this…'_ she thought, watching the dawning sun.

* * *

Finally completing his packing, Naruto happily plopped down on his bed and sighed.

"Tired already?" Sasuke inquired mockingly.

"Shut up bastard!" he snapped, sitting up and glaring at his teammate, but smiled when the raven glared back. "Ne, Sasuke, why'd you volunteer to have me stay at your house?" The boy merely shrugged and stood. "Hey! Answer me teme! Don't just walk away!" he shouted at the older teen.

Acting as if he hadn't even heard, Sasuke ambled out, through the living room and into the kitchen. Suddenly, a thought came to him. Recalling Naruto's drastic weight loss he elected to take a look around.

Pulling open a cabinet, he was stunned to find nothing more than a few plates and two or three cups. Checking the other cabinets produced little else. Alarm took root inside him as he peered inside the refrigerator to find…_nothing_; no food whatsoever.

_'What are you doing to yourself, Naruto?'_

* * *

Naruto limped over to his night table and grabbed the picture he had of Team 7. He smiled as he gently placed it into the bag with his cloths and sealed it. It was dreadfully precious to him and he wanted it nearby.

He suddenly frowned, abdomen burning. Upon lifting his shirt, he gasped. The seal which contained the nine-tails within him was wholly visible; its black swirling lines thick and menacing.

He eyed it cautiously, fearfully, until it faded away completely. He let drop his shirt. Without warning, he felt immensely drained. It was as though his energy simply bled from his body. His eyelids felt heavy and his head dropped suddenly. Dizziness overwhelmed him and he fell; face slamming the wood floor.

He gritted his teeth as the pain slowly made itself known. _'W-what the hell's going on?'_

Sasuke had heard the distinct 'thud' and came rushing to the room. He gasped, horrified, upon seeing his best friend curled up on the floor. "Naruto! Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, alarmed as he came to the blonde's aid.

"Ugh!…Got dizzy…fell…" Naruto groaned, unable to find the energy to get up.

Sasuke lifted Naruto, placing him on the bed before settling down beside him. He cupped Naruto's cheek gently and passed a thumb over the bruise. Black and blue were quickly staining the whiskered cheek.

Running to the kitchen, Sasuke grabbed some ice and a rag before hurrying back to his friend. He wrapped the ice in the cloth and placed it on Naruto's cheek to prevent the swelling. The blond winced as the cold met his skin, but lifted a weak hand to hold it in place anyway.

"I'm taking you to Tsunade-sama," Sasuke said quickly, slinging Naruto's bag across his shoulders.

"No…Sasuke, please don't," he said feebly. "I'm fine, really. Just need a little rest, that's all."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Are you sure?" he asked, worry filled eyes meeting beseeching azure ones.

"Yes…"

The Uchiha sighed, defeated, gently scooping Naruto up into his arms and exiting the small apartment. After locking the door, he made his way back home, mind still wired with thought. Naruto pressed his face closer to the other's chest and, feeling utterly drained, fell into a restless sleep.

'_Naruto…'_

* * *

**Yay! I finally got chapter 2 up! Thanks for reading!** **Please review! It makes me happy(:**

**Oh, and sorry it took so long! I'm a rather slow updater.**

**Moving on, are any of you wondering what's wrong with Naruto? Anyone? Well you'll just have to wait and see!**

**See ya!**

**Kit**


	3. Visiting the Bedridden

_**Warning: Contains Yaoi (SasuNaru)**_

Chapter 3:

Visiting the Bedridden

_The Uchiha sighed, defeated, gently scooping Naruto up into his arms and exiting the small apartment. After locking the door, he made his way back home, mind still wired with thought. Naruto pressed his face closer to the other's chest and, feeling utterly drained, fell into a restless sleep._

'_Naruto…'_

* * *

The first feeling that registered itself into his mind was utter exhaustion. He opened his eyes lightly and stared at the ceiling. After a while, he took notice of the throbbing in his jaw line and skull. Slowly bringing his hand up to his cheek, he felt the soft bandage on it and smiled.

'_Sasuke…'_ he thought happily. Looking around, he saw that he was once again in the Uchiha's bedroom. His eyes then fell upon the Uchiha himself. The boy had fallen asleep on a chair next to the bed. His arms were hanging off the side of the chair as his head lolled to the right, causing his ebony hair to partly shadow his face. But something was different. His face portrayed a look that the blond had never seen before. He was at peace. His features were relaxed, not stressed or angry. Naruto had to admit, he looked stunning.

With much effort, he was able to prop himself up on shaky elbows. When he finally managed a sitting position he smiled cheekily in triumph. '_Hah! Nothing can keep the great Uzumaki Naruto down!'_ he thought smugly as he shifted to get off the bed. He stepped carefully down and managed to hold himself up in a somewhat standing way (by gripping onto the bed like it was his lifeline!).

He remained like that for a while as he regained his breath. He smiled triumphantly despite being drained of most his energy. '_Maybe I should see if I can make Sasuke something to eat.'_ But when the thought of food crossed his mind, his stomach flipped and nausea bit him.

"No…I don't think…I can handle being around food," he whispered to himself, clutching his belly.

His head and cheek continued to hurt so he looked around until he spotted the pain-killers that Sakura had given him sitting on the night table. He smiled softly and made his way over to them, slowly gripping the bed for support. Grabbing the bottle, he checked the outside. "Take one and _only _one each day," he read. He opened it and poured out two pink pills. "Taking two wouldn't hurt. Besides, it might make the pain go away faster!" he decided, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn't wake Sasuke.

He sat down on the bed and popped the pills into his mouth, swallowing them. Surly nothing bad would happen if he took two, right?

He didn't know how wrong he was.

* * *

Pink hair fluttered in the mid-morning breeze as a young kunoichi made her way to the flower shop. Her bright green eyes were full of joy.

As she opened the door to the shop, the little bell rang signaling to everyone inside that there was a customer.

"Hmph! Hey Sakura. What you up to?" a blond haired girl asked coldly as the other passed by the multiple flowers in search for the right kind.

"Hi Ino," she answered just as coldly. "I just wanted to stop by and get some flowers before I head over to Sasuke's house."

"What? Do you really think that buying him flowers and visiting him will get him to fall in love with you? Tch! As if! You'll just scare him away with that giant forehead of yours."

"Whatever Ino-pig! Sasuke already loves me; he just doesn't know it yet! And as for the flowers, they're for Naruto," she stated as she stopped and looked at some Irises.

"Huh? Naruto? Why? And why are you going to Sasuke's then?" Ino asked, thoroughly confused.

"Yes Naruto. He got hurt the other day and I want to go visit him. Kakashi-sensei decided that it was safer for Naruto to stay with someone then be on his own and, as hard as it is to believe, Sasuke volunteered for the job," Sakura said as she picked out three Irises. "I'll purchase these." She handed Ino the flowers and paid her.

"Wow," Ino said astounded, "I can't believe he volunteered to look after Naruto of all people."

"Me neither."

"So is he alright?" Ino asked as she wrapped a red ribbon around the stems of the flowers in a small bow and handed them to Sakura.

"Who? Naruto?" Ino nodded. "Well, his right leg was pretty banged up and he hit his head, but he's alright I guess."

"I see. Hey, do you mind if I accompany you? I'd like to visit him too."

"Sure." Sakura said with a smile. She then paused for a moment and looked the blond strait in the eye. "You're not going just cause you want to see Sasuke, are you?" she growled.

"No, Sakura. I'm not heartless you know," she answered truthfully. "But, now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind seeing Sasuke."

"You're such a pig Ino!" yelled Sakura as the two headed towards the Uchiha compound.

* * *

"Pssssst. Pssssssssst! Hey, Sasuke! Wake up! Sasuke!"

His ebony eyes fluttered open at the sound of his name being called. As soon as he did, he was pounced on; almost knocking him off the chair. He felt small arms wrap around his chest and looked down to find that Naruto was on top of him. The younger boy opted to snuggle his face into the firm chest. Although Naruto didn't notice, he was currently sitting on Sasuke's lap, legs wrapped around the Uchiha's waist causing the elder to blush madly.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered happily and squeezed the raven haired boy. If possible, the thirteen-year-old had gone a deeper shade of red as he felt Naruto's soft organ pressed against him.

The raven's heart began to race, mind drowning in intimate thoughts as the kitsune snuggled even closer. Naruto was so soft and warm…Warm…he was _too_ warm. And the Naruto he knew was hurt and would _never_ do this! Something was definitely wrong.

"Naruto…?"

Upon hearing his name, the blond looked up. Onyx eyes met with glazed, half lidded cobalt ones.

"What the—" Sasuke started but was cut off when the blond put a finger to his lips.

"Shhh!" he commanded, glancing around the room. "The elves will hear you!"

"_What_?"

"The elves! They came to steal the Dutchman's treasure from us and then take it to Santa, where he'll build a super ray gun and destroy Pluto! Then, the ants will take over the world!" he stated, waving his hands in the air dramatically and swaying as if drunk.

Silence engulfed the room.

Sasuke stared wide-eyed at the blond; eyebrows arched and twitching. His mouth was slightly ajar as he tried to comprehend the nonsense he'd been fed. After a moment, he came to his conclusion.

"You've completely lost it!"

* * *

Sakura and Ino came to the front door of Sasuke's house, knocked and waited patiently.

"Wonder what's taking them?" Sakura asked after a while.

"Dunno. You think they're asleep?" Ino responded, looking at her.

"No. Maybe Naruto, but not Sasuke. He's always up early unless he went to sleep late. I would know, considering we've gone on late night missions before."

Ino sighed and knocked again.

All of a sudden, the girls heard a loud scream and huge crash before a chair came flying out of a second floor window; smashing against the concrete of the street.

"What's going on in there?" the blond asked anxiously.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out!" Sakura said, bursting through the door and into the house with Ino at her heels.

Dashing toward the source of the commotion, Sakura kicked open Sasuke's door. "What happened?" she cried as the two kunoichi scanned the room.

"Naruto's what happened!" growled Sasuke as he pointed to the bathroom door. "He freaked out saying that there were monsters outside the window, threw the fucking chair out it, then locked himself in the bathroom!" It was tangibly obvious how difficult it was for boy to maintain control of his frustration and bewilderment, but he managed nonetheless.

"He said what?" questioned Ino, giving him a weird look.

"He's gone nuts! I don't know what the hell happened! I mean, after what happened yesterday, I didn't think he was ever going to get up. And the next thing I know, he's talking nonsense and jumping around like he jacked up on caffeine!" he shouted, worry bleeding into his words.

"Yesterday? What happened yesterday?" Sakura asked as she surveyed the room. Sasuke hesitated for a moment, but relayed to her Naruto's predicament.

"Something's very wrong with him but he refuses to let me take him to Tsunade-sama," His face turned grave. "There's something else, too. Haven't you noticed how thin Naruto has been getting?" Both girls looked at each other for a moment before nodding; concern shaping their faces with frowns. "When I checked his kitchen, there wasn't a trace of food whatsoever. Nothing! I don't know what the reason is, and I intended on confronting him about it, but he wasn't in good shape after I found him on the floor, so I didn't mention it."

There was silence. '_Wow, I never knew this was happening to Naruto. Sure, I noticed his weight-loss, but I never thought it was this serious. Poor guy,'_ thought Ino as she glanced at the door.

Sakura remained quiet, brooding on what she should do. Then it hit her. Waltzing up to the bathroom door she slammed her fist to it. "Open up, Naruto!"

"W-Who is it?" was the soft reply from the other side of the door.

"It's Sakura, you idiot, now open up!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the door flung open and an orange blur tackled her to the ground. "SAKURA-CHAN!" the kitsune cried joyously as he hugged her. He let her go and moved aside awkwardly to let her stand and compose herself. "Thank God you're here! Me an' Sasuke need all the help we can get to kick the elves' butts!" he chimed; an adorable smile on his guiltless face.

Ino and Sakura gave him a horrified look whilst Sasuke just smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "See?" he sighed.

Sakura looked down to Naruto's right leg and scowled. There was no way he could have been standing on it when it was so bruised. It was black and blue for Christ's sake! So how the hell was he able to move and jump about when Sasuke clearly stated how hard it had been for him to even stand up before?

'_Oh, no. Don't tell me he was stupid enough to do that.'_ She groaned mentally as she walked over to the pill bottle on the night table and picked it up. Turning on a heel, she approached the blond and held the bottle in front of his face. "Naruto, did you take any of these?"

The kitsune examined the bottle carefully before answering, "Uh-huh."

"How many?"

The blond seemed to ponder the question for a while. He held up his index and middle finger. "Two." The pink haired girl's palm met with her forehead with a snap. "Ano, Sakura-Chan? What does this have to do with us saving the world from the ants?" The other two genin sighed in defeat.

The blond squeaked as the kunoichi pinched his ear and tugged. "BAKA! That's the reason you're freaking delirious! I put the instructions on the bottle and yet you _still_ end up doing something _stupid_! These pain killers are incredibly strong and have a concentrated amount of medicine in each one! I'm surprised you haven't keeled over!" she roared at the top of her lungs. Her face was flushed pink with the effort.

"Demo, Sakura-Chan, I feel great!" he said proudly, but his unsteady and wavering stance betrayed how _un_well he really was.

"Maybe you should sit, Naruto. You look like you'll fall any moment," offered Ino with a smile and gestured to the bed.

The room fell silent.

"…Sasuke?"

The boy raised his head and answered, "Yes?"

"…Well, actually…"

"Spit it out, idiot," he demanded, though his voice was gentle.

"…I…I kinda do feel a bit…weird…" he said; voice wavering. He brought a hand to cover his mouth—looking a bit pallid—and felt the bile rise in his throat.

"Oh gosh, he's gonna puke!" Ino cried, stepping back.

Sasuke quickly grabbed Naruto and pulled him into the bathroom just as he began to vomit. With nothing in his stomach other than the pills, he spit out stomach acids which burned his throat, leaving a nasty taste in his mouth.

The black-haired youth rubbed the younger boy's back soothingly as his small shoulders trembled with the effort. When he was done, Sasuke then grasped the blonde's chin, tilted it up, and wiped the bile from his lips with the wet rag Sakura handed him.

"Sasuke, bring him to the bed so that he won't collapse on us and let's get some food in his stomach," commanded Sakura. With a nod, the older teen lifted the blond up and carried him to the bed.

* * *

"I hate this…" mumbled Naruto, lightheaded and dizzy. The fact that he had to be taken care of was a shot to his pride. How was he ever going to become Hokage if he couldn't even care for himself, let alone stand? '_What's going on? Why is this happening to me?'_ he thought to himself, fingers tangling in is messy locks. '_…Maybe this has something to do with the Kyubii…_' He shuttered at the thought and deemed it best forgotten.

He let his gaze wander over to where Sasuke was replacing the window. He honestly felt bad about causing so much trouble. Sakura and Ino were now preparing something to eat for everyone and he was sitting on the bed, doing nothing productive whatsoever; simply a nuisance. In a way, it scared him. These were some of his only friends and he was afraid that if they tired of him, or discovered the truth beneath his skin, they'd leave, hate him, and look at him like everyone else in the village did. He'd be alone again. His aspirations would become hollow and meaningless. Naruto knew he couldn't handle such abandonment.

'_I…hope Sasuke's not mad at me because of this…Hmm! Why should I care about that bastard? He's just a stupid Uchiha…still…'_

Sasuke had just finished installing the window and wiped the sweat from his brow. He stood, stretched his cramped muscles, and stole a glance at the blond. He was just sitting quietly on the bed, staring off into space. He felt bad for his younger teammate. The Uchiha had never really seen the blond in such bad shape before. Even when he had, the blond never showed how much pain he was going through or what troubles he faced. He would always just smile that disarming smile of his.

The Uchiha's gaze softened as he walked up to the younger boy and said, "You should get some sleep, dobe."

Naruto closed his eyes for a while before slowly opening them again and looked up to his rival. "Huh?" he asked confused.

"Sleep," Sasuke repeated, pushing Naruto down by his shoulders and covering him with the bed sheets.

"But—" Naruto protested.

"No buts," he said, as he tucked his teammate in.

"I'm not tired," the kitsune huffed with a pout.

The raven raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You can barely keep your eyes open."

"I CAN TOO!" the blond yelled, sitting upright and waving a fist in the air.

"Hn. Not very convincing."

"I'M NOT TIRED!" he screamed frantically; face pink from shouting. His soft panting was barely audible, but Sasuke noticed nevertheless.

The door opened and Ino appeared with a smile. "Well, sounds like you're feeling better."

"Yes I am!" he cheered and grinned cheekily before shooting Sasuke a victorious smirk.

"No, you're not," Sakura said flatly as she walked in with a plate of mashed potatoes, dripping with warm gravy, a chunk of cooked, seasoned salmon that wafted and irresistible scent, and some steamed broccoli on the side.

She walked up to the bed and held out the food for Naruto. "Now _this_ is a healthy meal," she declared, then looked at him for a moment and frowned, adding, "and a much needed one, too."

The moment the scent of food reached him, he felt utterly sick. He turned away, disgusted, and clutched his stomach. "I don't want any," he choked.

A vein pulsed on the pink-haired kunoichi's large forehead. "What do you mean you don't want any?" she growled. "You're freaking skinny as can be!"

"Please, Sakura…I can't…handle that right now…," the kitsune said in a trembling voice. He was famished, indeed, but something in inside of him wouldn't let him eat. It wasn't like a voice or feeling, but something else, and whatever that something said, his body obeyed whether he wanted to, or not.

'_Naruto…what's wrong with you?'_ Sakura thought worriedly.

Without saying a word, Sasuke stepped to the edge of the bed, grabbed Naruto by the wrist and tugged him forward. Naruto stumbled off the bed with a yelp and ran into Sasuke's chest.

He didn't have time to think before the Uchiha wrapped a strong arm around his waist and hoisted him up in his arms like a small child. Afraid he might fall, Naruto clutched Sasuke around the neck and wrapped his legs around the older boy's torso. "Wha-What are you _doing_, Teme! P-Put me down!" he screamed.

"Sasuke!" wailed Ino, flabbergasted by his actions.

"We're taking you to Tsunade-Sama," he declared seriously, locking eyes with the blond.

"WHAT?" he screeched, nearly shattering their eardrums. "_No_! You can't take me to Tsunade-baa-Chan! I'd rather strip down naked and run on burning coals then tell her about this!"

"We're going and that's final!" the older teen stated, withholding a smirk at the other's comment.

"Great idea Sasuke!" Sakura said with a smile.

Inner Sakura: _And that's the man I will marry! Smart, handsome and strong! CHEA!_

With a nod, the three ninja shot out the window, skirting the rooftops to the Hokage tower with a howling kitsune in tow.

* * *

**Well, that's chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Pardon the lateness. Busy, busy…**

**Please review and tell me what you thought about it!**

**THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED! I LOVE YOU! ::blows kisses::**

**Bai!**

**Kit**


	4. For Your Comfort

_**Warning: Contains Yaoi (SasuNaru)**_

Chapter 4:

For Your Comfort…

_With a nod, the three ninja shot out of the window and jumped along the rooftops to the Hokage tower carrying a wailing kitsune._

* * *

The Hokage sighed and leaned back in her chair. Being the leader of the village wasn't an easy job, what with the constant nagging from Shizune to do her ever-growing piles of paperwork, accepting and declining missions as well as assigning teams of ninja to carry them out, maintaining friendly bonds between Konoha's allies, and dealing with the constant troubles of the people. Massaging her neck, she turned to gaze out of the window. Such a beautiful day it was. Yet here she was, stuck in her large office, doing stupid work.

Tsunade indolently propped her feet on top of her desk and ran her hands through her blond hair. '_I haven't even had time to check up on the brat…'_

A knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts and she cursed under her breath. "Enter," she said grumpily, composing herself so that she would appear as though she had been working rather than taking a break.

The door flung open to reveal Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke who was apparently carrying Naruto.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, jumping out of her seat in surprise. '_Speak of the Devil!'_

* * *

Kiba yawned loudly as he and Shikamaru walked lazily down the street in search for a place to eat. Not that Shikamaru was very hungry at the moment, but it was something to do. Rather out of character for him, though, considering the fact that on usual circumstances he'd find it too 'troublesome' to use up energy in looking for a restaurant with Kiba of all people. Oh, yes, can't forget that annoying fluff ball of his…

"Arf! Rrruff!" Once again with that infernal barking.

"Huh? You think so, Akamaru?" And the creepy way in which Kiba could understand and respond to such aggravating sounds.

"What is it?" questioned Shikamaru not all that interested.

"Akamaru suggested we go to that ramen stand over there," exclaimed Kiba, gesturing toward a small stand down the street.

"Isn't that where Naruto always eats? He's there inhaling ramen every time I pass by."

"Well, it couldn't hurt to try the place out. Plus, I haven't seen the little guy in a while."

Shikamaru sighed but nodded in his consent. As utterly shocking as it may sound, the strategist could put up more with the hyper, dunce of a genin than with Mr. Stink-a-Lot and his side-kick, Pain-in-the-Ass. He always had something to talk about other than how to properly groom your dog so as to keep them from getting mats in their hair, even though it was complete nonsense sometimes. Everyone needs a mild dose of nonsense every once in a while. And he needed some now.

As the two shinobi entered the stand, they were greeted with a smile by an old man who was stirring a batch of noodles in a pot and his daughter. "Good day you two. What would you like?" the girl asked genuinely happy.

Kiba thought for a moment as they situated themselves down on the stools, Akamaru plopping down onto the counter. "Two bowls of Miso Ramen I guess. What do you want, Shikamaru?" he asked turning toward the bored youth and raising a brow.

"Whatever," he breathed, resting his cheek on his hand.

Kiba frowned and scoffed at him. "God you're so frustrating! How can _anyone_ deal with you for more than a few minutes?" '_I could say the same about you,'_ Shikamaru thought grudgingly but opted to dismiss it.

"Arf!" agreed Akamaru.

Shikamaru ignored the fuming brunette and looked idly around. There wasn't much going on lately. Barely any missions—save for the small, rather insignificant ones—no recent nation or Orochimaru threats whatsoever, and his best friend Chioji went and got himself sick from eating too much food. The oaf. The quiet strategist had even become bored of just laying around surprisingly. Thus why he was here hanging out with Kiba. What had the world come to?

He only took a couple of bits out of the ramen that the girl was so kind as to give him. He wasn't really hungry at the moment. He wouldn't be for a while.

"Hey dog-breath," he called in a monotone, not bothering to even look at his comrade.

"Don't fucking call me that!" Kiba growled, slamming his fist on the table. "Damn that blond brat for coming up with that!" he cursed, a bit more softly.

"Things have been quiet lately," the strategist continued as if the outburst had not happened.

"Yeah, so?"

"…"

"Hey brainiac, what you trying to say?"

Shikamaru stood, placed the money on the counter while giving his thanks and glanced at the dog-loving ninja. "Come on. Let's see what's new around here, if anything," he droned and turned to walk off.

Akamaru gave an annoyed growl as Kiba paid and followed suit. "I agree," he said, patting the puppy on his head.

* * *

"What's going on?" demanded the Hokage, eyes sweeping over the ninjas. Of all she never expected this to happen. For Naruto to be brought right to her. How…convenient? Yes. Very. It saved her time, _and_ she had an excuse to stop her work. Not only that, she was becoming nervous about the whole thing. From what Kakashi had told her, the situation with the boy didn't sound all that good. And now, here he was. She could examine him herself.

The Uchiha shifted slightly, adjusting the blonde in his arms into a more comfortable position. "Tsunade-Sama," Sasuke said in a calm yet stern tone, "Something's seriously wrong with Naruto."

Her eyes flickered to look at the sickly kitsune. He was skinnier than she had assumed and his exhaustion was apparent; arms weakly draped around Sasuke's shoulders, legs dangling pitifully as the raven supported the his weight, head lolling slightly to the side. His cheeks were flushed pink with hinted fever and obvious embarrassment at being carried like a child—by non-other than Sasuke Uchiha, she guessed—along with a look of nausea and the occasional tremors that racked his frame; none of which improved his appearance.

Her eyes narrowed. "Naruto," she called, examining him closely.

He visibly jumped, seemingly half-conscious till then, and his large cerulean eyes deliberately avoided her gaze. Sakura saw him eyeing the door and quickly shut and locked it. "Not a chance," she whispered, giving him a stern look.

"Naruto, look at me."

This time, Naruto ducked his head into the nape of Sasuke's neck and pushed closer to him breathlessly. He wanted to hide; to be invisible; to disappear into wisps of air and drift silently away. "Sasuke…" he pleaded against the soft, pale skin, hoping that he would take him away from Tsunade.

Sasuke went rigid. It was as if his whole nervous system went completely ballistic when the blond pressed himself closer and tucked his face into his neck. Chills danced throughout him as the younger's breath slipped across his skin. Every place where their skin met burned like velvet fire; he prayed that his accelerated heart rate went unnoticed. And then, all of a sudden, he didn't want to let Naruto go. He wanted to hold him and keep him safe from all he feared and disliked. But he had to think about his teammate's health. No matter what he wanted, the boy needed medical attention from a professional, and the young Uchiha was willing to do anything to help his closest friend.

Tsunade scowled. She wasn't going to put up with this. His condition was bad enough without him trying to resist. "Just put him on my desk and let me take a good look at him," she sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"Ts-Tsunade-Baa-Chan…i-it's nothing…really," he gasped as Sasuke walked over to the desk and reluctantly deposited him on it. "It's just…Sasuke and Sakura exaggerating things…I'm fine, really!"

"Oh, shut it, Naruto, you're a horrible liar. Kakashi informed me a while back of what happened, though I hadn't the time to check up on you." She walked up to him, gently gripping his chin and feeling his forehead. She glanced him over and caught his slightly unfocussed gaze. She said, "Sasuke. Sakura. Explain."

As the two recounted the events and discoveries they had made, Tsunade listened carefully, keeping her intense gaze on Naruto, and passing her experienced hands across his thin frame—taking in the delayed reflexes, weak muscles, labored, uneven breaths, far too thin body, and somewhat high temperature. The boy was obviously having an internal conflict as to trying to stay awake; his head often dropping, only to be slowly risen again, and his eyes slipping closed like weights. When they finished, the room fell silent. Tsunade mulled on what she had heard. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that the nine-tails had something to do with it.

"Naruto, why haven't you been eating?" she inquired.

The blond boy blinked rapidly and shook his head slightly to clear his mind. "N-No reason…It's just I wasn't very hungry…" They were lies, he knew. And everyone most likely knew. He was good at hiding and lying about his emotions, a simple disarming smile was all it took to deceive, but not things like this. '_I could tell her why, but they'd get suspicious if they heard that the store-keepers wouldn't let me in. Plus, I'm not even sure what's wrong with me myself. I get hungry, but I can't bring myself to eat! Just thinking about it makes me queasy…Ugh! What do I do?'_ he raged in his mind, subconsciously biting his lip.

Without thinking, Tsunade slammed her fist down on the table making Naruto jump and let out a cry of surprise. "Stop lying and tell me why the hell you aren't taking care of yourself!"

"You might want to calm down before you scare him to death, Tsunade-Sama," spoke an all too familiar voice from above them.

"Kakashi," Sasuke spat, eyeing his sensei warily. The raven knew that his sensei was infatuated with Naruto. Not that he himself was not, but that was different. '_What does that pervert want?'_ he thought.

"Sasuke," Kakashi countered, detaching himself from the ceiling and landing gracefully beside Tsunade, his favorite Icha-Icha Paradise book plastered to his face.

"What is it Hatake," Tsunade grumbled shooting him a glare, hand finding rest on her hip.

The silver haired ninja peaked over the binding of his book, looking Tsunade in the eye. "Oh, nothing, just checking up on my student." He answered indifferently, closing the small orange book and tucking it into the pack on his hip. He glanced at Naruto, brows pulling together in worry, then directed his gaze at the Hokage. "Also, Neji and Lee will be arriving soon for debriefing on their recent mission."

The Hokage's shoulders dropped, her jaw clenching in stress. "Damnit, I can't deal with all this at once!" She pressed her hand against her brow. "Anything else, Kakashi?" She prayed the heavens would gift her with some reprieve.

"Jiraiya is coming." Nope. The heavens just loved to cackle at her frustration.

"Him, too?" she whined distressfully. The silver haired ninja nodded. "This is too much…" She glanced at Naruto, the jounin following her gaze, and moved to brush a stray hair out of his face lovingly. He was so small, it was hard to believe he could do so much and bear the greatest of all burdens: to have the nine-tailed fox sealed within. Such a terrible fate for one so innocent. Her eyes softened, yet glinted with worry. '_You silly brat…Always making my life more difficult,_' she thought, passing her thumb lightly over his pink tinged cheek. "Naruto is my main priority now," she said definitely.

Sakura took a step closer, arms spread open in question. "So Tsunade-Sama, do you have an idea as to what's wrong with him?" she asked, hope sparkling in her emerald eyes.

The Hokage glanced at her and said, "Possibly, but I'm not completely sure." She faced the blond boy once again. "Naruto, if you don't fill in the gaps, I can't truly help you."

'…_Tsunade-Baa-Chan…I can't…I'm scared,'_ he thought helplessly.

As if reading his thoughts, Sasuke came up to the Hokage, leaned forward and whispered in her ear. He pulled back and looked at her expectantly. She nodded before turning to the two kunoichi. "Sakura, Ino, you are dismissed."

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened. "But why?" she protested.

"No buts. You may come by later if you want, but please just leave us for the moment." It was a final decision, and Sakura knew there was no way of changing her mind. Reluctantly, she turned and exited the office with Ino, knowing there was something being kept secret, but deciding that she'd find out later.

As the door clicked shut, the blond kitsune visibly relaxed. The onyx-eyed boy could almost always read him like an open book. And, as annoying as that usually was, it did come in handy in missions or situations like this, where silence said more than word could ever. "If you want, I'll leave too," said the Uchiha suddenly, making eye contact with his teammate.

Naruto looked at him, unblinking. Sasuke was doing this for him, so that he'd be more comfortable. He could barely believe it. Since when did the guy start caring if he felt comfortable or not? Where was that snobby, egotistic bastard that he was so used to now? The one who'd go out of his way to _make _the blond feel awkward and stupid? He felt his throat tighten. He couldn't even think straight. Just now his rival, his most precious friend, was offering to leave for him. Part of him considered this offer. If he stayed, the chances of him discovering the truth would rise significantly. But at the same time, Naruto didn't want Sasuke to leave, and that was the majority of him. He desperately wanted him to stay. Once again he began to bite his lower lip without noticing.

"Alright then," the smooth voice said. Naruto blinked and noticed that Sasuke was taking his leave.

Franticly, and without thinking, he jumped off the desk and flung himself at Sasuke. "NO!" he gasped, gulping down the air that had suddenly eluded him and clutching onto the older boy's shirt with the last of his strength.

The room fell into a shocked silence; the only noise being Naruto's soft panting. No one could believe what had just happened. Naruto Uzumaki had just thrown himself onto Sasuke Uchiha in an attempt to keep him from leaving? It was so absurd. Almost laughable if not true.

Sasuke couldn't believe that the blond had wanted him to stay so badly. He couldn't help but be flattered and shocked at the same time.

What's more, at that instant, Neji and Lee walked right into the office. Now the silence became so distinct it was suffocating. Naruto looked up and saw the two fellow ninja—his face flushing red up to his hair-line.

"N-Naruto…?" Everyone winced. It was so loud, so abrupt in the quiet room that it was painful. It was Lee who had spoken.

'_Shit, Shit, SHIT! What the hell did I just do?'_ Naruto raged in his mind. '_This is the worst possible thing that could've happened! This'll haunt me for the rest of my life! News is sure to spread. Aw, FUCK!'_ He quickly detached himself from the raven-haired youth and stumbled backward, almost falling if Tsunade hadn't caught him from behind. "Uh…I-It's n-not…I-I just…" he said flustered and stuttering. He couldn't find any words that would get him out of this and he was utterly mortified. Finally, he blurted out the only thing that made sense to him at the moment. "Damn you Sasuke-Teme!"

This outburst snapped the raven out of his shock. "What the hell? Don't tell me you're going to blame this on _me_?" he growled, glaring daggers at his younger teammate. Ill or not the boy could be as aggravating as ever.

"Of course I will! It's all your fault! This wouldn't have happened if you… hadn't been such a…such a bastard!" the blond retorted. To say he was mildly flustered would've been a huge understatement.

"You're such a moron! How am I to blame for something that _you_ decided to do on your own? At least I don't latch onto people," he ended smugly.

"I was _not_ _**latching**_ onto you! I was—,"

"Enough!" Tsunade shouted, thoroughly annoyed. All eyes focused on the woman. "Neji, Lee, I'll have to postpone that debriefing. Kakashi, bring Jiraiya here the moment he arrives, I think he might want to check the seal…"

'_Seal? She said…seal. What is she talking about?_' wondered Sasuke idly, but then dismissed it with a shrug.

The silver-haired jounin nodded, stealing a worried, desiring look at the kitsune before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Tsunade looked down at the blond boy supported in her arms. "And Naruto, you're getting a complete—and _thorough—_checkup and physical. The works."

Naruto paled. He _hated_ checkups. They were the worst! Not only that, the absolute last thing he'd want to do is have people look him all over, which, in turn, meant that he'd be required to strip himself of _all_ his cloths. And that, unfortunately, was just the start. He shuddered at the thought, a reaction that oddly left him dizzy.

"W-Wait! I feel much better now, honest!" he lied in hopes that somehow he could dodge this.

Tsunade grinned mischievously, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha."

The raven answered with a raised brow.

"You'll be joining us. I think I'll need someone to hold the boy in case he tries to run."

Sasuke smiled malevolently. His black eyes seemed to deepen with something Naruto couldn't quite place.

"Uh oh…," he breathed frightful.

* * *

**FINALLY CHAPTER 4! I'm so very sorry to all my readers for not updating in such a LONG time! (bad me ;;) Blech. Life's a large helping of hectic.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though, I don't think it's the best and possibly a tad short, but it's done nonetheless. I've been having some writer's block lately and it's really hell, so bear with me.**

**Kit, Over And Out!**


	5. The Truth Inside

Chapter 5:

The Truth Inside

_Tsunade grinned mischievously, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha."_

_The raven answered with a raised brow._

"_You'll be joining us. I think I'll need someone to hold the boy in case he tries to run."_

_Sasuke smiled malevolently. His black eyes seemed to deepen with something Naruto couldn't quite place._

"_Uh oh…," he breathed frightful._

* * *

"Come on, it's not the end of the world…Seriously, you don't have anything to worry about, I'm going to be here with you…Ok, now this is just getting ridiculous! Would you breathe for the love of god?" roared an agitated Sasuke at his comrade—who was currently hyperventilating under the covers of the bed he was in. The two resided in the Hokage's personal room in the Konoha Hospital. It was much larger than the average room, and loaded with her stuff. A giant bookcase on the far wall was packed with dozens of medical books and documentaries—some thicker than one's head—, and papers displaying the complete anatomy of a human being littered the large oak desk next to it. The lights were ones that could be dimmed, the amount of medical instruments in the drawers was mind-boggling, and medicines of various types dotted the cabinets.

Shizune knocked quietly on the door. Sasuke shouted that it was ok, and she stepped inside, clip-board in hand. "Is Naruto changed?" she inquired sweetly.

"Yeah, but it sure was hell just to get him to do that. Now he's cowering like a baby under the covers, the dobe," the older boy told her, gesturing toward the shivering bundle atop the bed.

Shizune giggled. "How cute!" She set the clipboard down onto the counter across from the bed and pulled the sheets off the bed.

Naruto squeaked and ducked his head under the pillow. "Go away!" he mumbled through the fabric.

The woman smiled and shook her head, yanking away the pillow, too. "Nope. Sorry Naruto. Hokage's orders. You're getting a _thorough _check up today," she specified with a wink. The kitsune wined pitifully. "Now, how 'ya feeling?" she chirped, a little too happy.

"Cold," Naruto huffed; pulling at the hospital gown he was wearing. Unfortunately for him, that was the _only_ thing he was wearing. He wasn't allowed to wear anything else, not even underwear. Tsunade meant business. He fidgeted uncomfortably at the unwelcome draft he felt. The gown was a light blue color and made of very thin material that left an exposed area in the back where the fabric failed to meet—a very weak, very breakable tie on the back of his neck holding it all together.

He would've tried escaping if it weren't for Sasuke guarding him. The teme even forced him to wear this infernal thing! He made a mental note to beat the crap out of the Uchiha when he was better.

"Aw! I for one think you look absolutely adorable, ne Sasuke?" she said while she flashed a light in the boy's blue eyes, making sure his pupils shrunk and dilated properly. Sasuke shrugged and looked away, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Shizune busied herself checking the blonde's ears.

She smiled and pulled out a popsicle stick. "Say 'Ah'." Naruto obliged and let the woman take a look at his throat and mouth. "Rather sharp canines there," she commented, glimpsing the four sharp teeth. She took his temperature and it came out to be 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit—a bit of a fever. Tossing the stick, she pulled out a stethoscope. Making Naruto sit on the end of the bed, she slipped her hand through the gap in the back of the gown and pressed the head of the scope to his chest. He flinched away at its coldness. "Sorry," she apologized. "Now, take nice deep breaths for me…Okay now inhale and hold…exhale." Shizune continued to move the stethoscope around his chest and upper back while giving the kitsune instructions.

As she finished up, she placed the scope-head just over his heart and looked up at Sasuke. "Uchiha, would you mind stepping over here for a moment?"

"Shizune-san? _Why_ are you calling _teme_ over here?" the blond asked with a huff, pointing a finger at Sasuke.

Shizune just grinned as the older teen approached. Sasuke came to stand right in front of his teammate. Grasping Naruto's hand he lowered it and moved his face closer to the boy's. "Don't point at people, dobe."

The woman's lips stretched into a wider grin. She knew it would happen! The jump and unmistakable increase of his heart rate when Sasuke came near. There was something between the two rivals, and it wasn't just one-sided.

"Alright then. That's enough. Naruto, let's take you're height and weight." Naruto snatched his hand away, trying to hide his blush and slid off the bed. His knees trembled violently with sudden exhaustion and effort. Immediately Sasuke was there to help.

"I don't need your help you bastard! I can walk on my own, ya know!" the kitsune argued, though it was somewhat a lie. His leg hurt bad now that the pain killers had completely worn off.

"Sure," was his reply.

"I _can_!"

"Shut up and move it." With that, he was led over to the scale.

He stepped onto it and looked down, waiting for the machine to calculate and display his results. Both Shizune and Sasuke felt their stomachs knot when they saw he was only 72.3 lbs., when an average boy of twelve should have been around 90 lbs. He was also a tad on the small side; a mere four feet, six inches. Sasuke was already four foot eleven at thirteen years of age—only a few months older than Naruto—and weighed 94.8 lbs.

Shizune frowned deeply. This was very bad. The poor boy could barely stand without swaying, looking like he'd collapse at any moment. She jotted down the data on her clip-board and turned to Sasuke. "I need you to watch him. Lay him down on the bed and try to calm his nerves, if he falls asleep, better. Tsunade-Sama should be here soon. She's informing Jiraiya-Sama who's just arrived and things will go much smoother if he's cooperative."

"That's fine," Sasuke agreed.

"If he freaks, it's your responsibility to hold him. Got it?" she said more calmly.

"Yes."

She then smiled mischievously, and exited. Sasuke cocked his head to the side in wonder at her expression. His eyes then widened in understanding before a huge grin wormed its way onto his features. He felt something warm press against his side and looked down to see that Naruto had leaned onto him, his eyes closed, cheeks pink with fever.

The Uchiha didn't think twice as he lifted his teammate up and deposited him on the bed.

"…Mmm…Sasuke?" he whispered opening his eyes when he noticed.

"Yeah, dobe?" the raven asked, idly petting the boy's untamed hair as he situated himself next to him.

"What…what is…"

"Mm?"

Naruto just stared at the ceiling in thought. It was something very odd, for Naruto of course. He was never quiet unless he slept, and even then he'd tend to babble. So for him to sit still and think something over was out of the ordinary. The Uchiha decided to wait.

After a moment, Naruto finally spoke. "Sasuke…what is 'love'?"

This caught him off guard. "L-Love?" he stuttered wide-eyed.

"Uh-huh. What is it? I mean, I hear people say it when they talk to their…parents…or when they like someone, but I don't understand what it means, what it is really," the blond explained. Clearly this was something he'd been thinking about for a very long time.

Sasuke felt a weird sensation overcome him. He lay back on the bed next to Naruto who'd turned to look at him with those enormous azure eyes of his. He was so innocent Sasuke noticed. Like a baby who's yet to learn what everything is. "Love isn't something you can up and understand, Naruto," he started. "It's difficult to explain too. It sorta just comes to you.

"Love's like a strong feeling of caring toward someone. You want to be with them, like you just want to protect them from anything that might hurt them…and, you think about them a lot…always actually…Ugh! Why are you asking _me_?"

"I don't know. Just didn't want to ask Sakura and have her interrogate me."

"Interrogate is a pretty big word for you, dobe," the raven chuckled.

"Aw shut up you bastard!" he barked and turned his back to his teammate. After about five minutes of silence, Naruto could feel his eyes becoming sleep laden. He was so tired he'd have conked out then and there if there wasn't something nagging at the back of his mind. Turning to face the other boy he tugged at his sleeve. Onyx met Sapphire. "Ne, Sasuke? …Do you love someone?"

It was such a simple question. With an answer just as simple. There was only one problem though: How could he tell Naruto? He couldn't just outright confess to the kitsune, could he? Sasuke didn't want him to freak out and faint. There was also the possibility he'd fear him and never talk to him again and that was something he couldn't stand.

"Sasuke?" came the sleepy whisper.

"…Maybe."

The younger boy let out a yawn and subconsciously snuggled into the raven's side, hungry for the warmth he provided. After a moment he pressed his fevered face into Sasuke's shoulder and mumbled, "Who?"

Then, just as the word left his lips, Naruto succumbed to unconsciousness. Sasuke leaned over and kissed the boy's forehead. "You'll find out soon, dobe." A smile graced his face and he embraced Naruto.

* * *

"Adorable."

Sasuke glared up at the intruder, but said nothing as he carefully moved away and out of the bed.

"Well, I got him to go to sleep."

"So you did. Good." Tsunade smiled and nodded at the doorway for the others to come in. Jiraiya stepped in, oddly serious, followed by a nervous Shizune.

Jiraiya walked right up to Naruto, studied him for a moment, and shook his head. "Worse than I thought," he said. "Alright, let's get this done before he wakes."

Jiraiya took a stand at the foot of the bed and pulled a grey and blue scroll from his pack. He let it fall to the ground and performed several hand-signs. The scroll then unraveled and emitted a faint glow. The toad sage thrust his palm toward Naruto, gripping his wrist with the other arm, and muttered something under his breath. A black, square spiral surrounded by tiny intricate markings appeared in the center of his palm. "Release!" he whispered harshly.

The same mark on Jiraiya's hand appeared on Naruto's forehead and the boy's body lifted two feet above the bed—but he did not wake. His head lolled back without the support, his arms drifting down and legs bending at the knees.

Sasuke watched in fascination all the while wondering what the hell was going on. Shizune—whom at some point had made her way across the room—put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and she said, "Jiraiya is setting Naruto up for an examination. Tsunade will then focus her chakra into Naruto's body and determine his weakest area's and where need's the most medical attention. Depending on his condition, he'll emit a distinct color. But the procedure is difficult, and she can't have him fidgeting."

The teen turned back to his teammate and focused on him intently. He was somewhat sure that between Tsunade and Jiraiya Naruto could get the medical attention that he very much needed and possibly get better, but he really wanted to know what was making him so ill to begin with. Maybe it's because he's malnourished. That's a possibility, though that wouldn't explain why he can't bare the sight of food.

He crossed his arms. Then again Naruto always had this…different aura when he was angry or injured; somewhat like a cornered animal ready to pounce if you came too close. And the amount of chakra he possessed is far too much for such a small person. His chakra seemed more…evil, for lack of a better word. He usually healed pretty quickly too. Never could keep him bedridden for more than a night. '_There's more to this than I'm being told. And I intend to find out what it is,'_ he concluded.

He glanced at Tsunade. Her eyes were closed tightly in concentration as she placed a hand on Naruto's forehead, trailed a finger down his neck, and pressed it in the dip of his collarbone. Gradually, a faint blue glow enveloped Naruto's body.

The boy's right thigh began to glow red and the back of his head a light green. For a moment nothing happened, and then suddenly the blonde's whole abdomen grew black in color. Gasps echoed across the room.

"What? What happened?" Sasuke asked anxiously.

"…Blue signifies that no medical attention is needed," Shizune explained, her voice trembling in fear. "Red that the area causes pain and is hurt moderately. Green, just a bump or minor bruise. And black…" She took a shaky breath. "Black means something very, _very_ bad. …It can mean a variety of things: A fatal poison has infected the area; savage, most likely fatal injuries within; deterioration of the internal organs; shattered bones…the list is long."

"But Naruto doesn't have any of those, does he?"

"No. In Naruto's case…it's different…" And she wouldn't say any more.

The Uchiha could feel his heart pounding and anger growing with every second that went by.

"That's what I feared…" whispered Jiraiya. He released the jutsu and turned to the Hokage. "It's the seal."

"I know," she responded, gazing at Naruto's sleeping form atop the bed. Suddenly, Sasuke was standing in-between her and the boy. Her brows furrowed.

"Tell me what the hell is happening to Naruto. I know there's something else going on that you're not telling me about so fess up. What's this seal you're talking about and why is it hurting Naruto!"

"You really want to know?" she asked dully, glaring. He nodded. "Fine then. You already know most of the story so I'll skip the intro and details. The Fourth Hokage gave his life to seal away the Nine Tailed Fox. Naruto, unfortunately, was born that same day and was the vessel chosen to be the Jinchuriki." Sasuke was slowly freezing up; his eyes huge and mouth dropped open in shock. Tsunade crossed over to him and looked him straight in the eye. "Naruto Uzumaki has the demon Kyubii sealed inside of him."

Sasuke felt his knees go weak. It couldn't be. It just couldn't! Naruto, the dobe he'd known since they were little and came to love, harbored the Nine Tailed Fox inside of him! A creature so horrifying and powerful detained inside such a small body! He just couldn't fathom that.

He tried to smother the look of pure shock and horror from his face, and succeeded to a point. He turned to the blond boy on the bed. It was no wonder Naruto had such a hard time with catching up and was dead last; his concentration fleeting. More than half of his strength and chakra was constantly focused on keeping the Kyubii under control!

Everything was suddenly fitting together. The massive stores of chakra, the reason why when they were little every child's parents forbade them from befriending him, the animal-like traits and mannerisms, and the reason why most all the villagers gave him such hateful glares. It was all because of what was put into the poor child. People came to think Naruto _was_ the demon.

A strange pressure was building around Sasuke's chest. He reached out a tentative hand and stroked Naruto's fever stained cheek. "…What is it doing to him?" he choked out finally.

"We don't exactly know," responded Jiraiya. "We're pretty sure now that it has something to do with that fox, but I have to dig into it more find out."

"I'll heal what I can. And Sasuke, I'll need you to support him. He'll become very emotional when he discovers you know his secret. Unfortunately, to check the seal, he needs to be conscious. He's the one who needs to tell us what the Kyubii says," Tsunade intoned.

"What do you mean? Does that thing _talk_ to him?"

"Apparently. He mentioned it to Jiraiya once. He said sometimes the demon lures him into himself and communicates with Naruto, or when he's in a life threatening situation. The Kyubii knows full well that if Naruto dies, then so does he, so he's inclined to let Naruto borrow his chakra."

"I've been watching him for some time now and when he becomes too emotional and loses control, he goes completely animalistic. His strength, speed, senses…everything is severely heightened. But the more savage he goes, the more the Nine Tails hurts him and takes over. He can't remember much afterward," Jiraiya added, then sighed and massaged his temples. "Let him rest up for a bit. I think both he and I need a couple of days to prepare for this…" Tsunade looked unwilling. "Tsunade. You know how much strength it requires. And I've only just returned. Moving along too quickly could turn out disastrous." He let his words sink in. Finally she conceded, albeit reluctantly.

Jiraiya turned to Sasuke, his voice hard and serious. "Talk to him, do something. In three days' time I want him here and willing, you understand me? This isn't a joke. Naruto is in a delicate condition right now and this whole Kyubii issue could very well kill him. He's strong no doubt. I do not underestimate his ability, but his body's too small a vessel to restrain the demon already. Should the seal be damaged or the fox exert pressure…"

He needn't go on. "I understand. I'll do so and have him here in three days."

"Good," said Jiraiya. Tsunade dropped a hand on the toad sage's shoulder and led him out, Shizune following suit and shutting the door behind them.

Two minutes later, Tsunade came back in and immediately pounced on the task of healing Naruto's injured leg and head. It didn't take too long a time since they were minor. The Hokage was extra careful regardless, checking twice to ensure the injuries healed properly and thoroughly. When she was finished, she prepared a bag that contained multivitamin pills, cooling pads, liquid medicine that induced hunger as well as some that calmed an upset stomach, and some bottles of high-nutrient milk that helped with weight gain. She explained the dosages and advised him to watch the blonde's fever for spikes. She petted Naruto's head and left with a stolen worried glanced.

As the door clicked shut, Sasuke moved numbly to the bed and sat next to the sleeping boy. Like a magnet, Naruto was immediately drawn to him and his warmth. Even with his fever the blond was shivering, teeth chattering slightly with goose bumps coating his arms and legs.

The raven stared at his younger teammate, mind on overdrive for a while. Getting his bearings, he collected Naruto's clothes, shoes, and medicine bag and scooped up the unconscious kitsune. Without thinking, he pressed his lips onto the blonde's warm ones, desperately wishing he could do more for him, and pulled away slowly. He loved Naruto. There was no doubt about it. Even if the Nine Tailed demon was living inside him, or if maybe he _was_ the fox in some aspects, he loved him and nothing would change that.

The teen gazed at his friend's angelic face pressed up against him, trying to engrave its beauty in his brain permanently. And then he was gone, heading for home with his most precious person in arms.

* * *

**WOO-HOO! xD**

**CHAPTER 5 PEOPLE! :runs around wildly squealing in joy and hugging all who come within reach:**

**I'm glad to be online and have **_**just now**_** finished the last lil' bit of this chappy! I wanted to have more intimacy between Naru-chan and Sasuke, but that didn't quite work here. It was more fluff than anything, but that's fine I guess. And as for Naruto's problem, I hope I filled in at least **_**some**_** puzzle pieces.**

**Just so you all know, I'm writing on air. I've no set happenings in the coming chapters and am just writing whatever the heck comes to me. I'm sorta picky on things because I want this story to be good for my readers (who I freaking LOVE btw! XD) so often I end up deleting stuff I wrote or editing a crap load of stuff.**

**::disappears in a puff of smoke:: MUAHAHAHAHAH! ::cough cough:: '…fucking smoke…'**


	6. Baby Steps

Chapter 6:

Baby Steps 

_The raven stared at his younger teammate, mind on overdrive for a while. Getting his bearings, he collected Naruto's clothes, shoes, and medicine bag and scooped up the unconscious kitsune. Without thinking, he pressed his lips onto the blonde's warm ones, desperately wishing he could do more for him, and pulled away slowly. He loved Naruto. There was no doubt about it. Even if the Nine Tailed demon was living inside him, or if maybe he was the fox in some aspects, he loved him and nothing would change that._

_The teen gazed at his friend's angelic face pressed up against him, trying to engrave its beauty in his brain permanently. And then he was gone, heading for home with his most precious person in arms._

* * *

There are times when the mind will conjure up the most breathtaking constellations of memories. Each little piece fitting perfectly within its place; a tiny spec that unites a whole vision. Images such as these played wistfully beneath Naruto's closed eyes. The fragment of consciousness birthing a mirage of colors within his mind until time itself had to take a stand. And then he felt the bits flittering away just as quickly as they had appeared.

The room had never felt so inviting. The air itself felt light and prickly in his lungs as he inhaled the sent of the room, of Sasuke. Rubbing the remnants of sleep away, the boy sat for a moment and analyzed his surroundings once more. Why did it feel any different now? Slowly his conscious greeted comprehension. A grin cracked open his face and those eyes glowed.

"Tsunade."

His lips formed the word with such certainty that his head dipped with agreement. Tsunade had healed him. A tentative touch assured him further of this realization; now to test. His legs slid over the familiar fabric, down the edge of the bed, near the floor below; toes wriggled.

First his left foot…then his right…now press down the heals…straighten the knees and…

"Hah!" came the release of air. He was standing unhindered. This alone was enough to please him. He felt elated and free. Of course, he realized that only his minor injuries were healed and that his fever and other…issues remained, yet he was blissful at his granted mobility.

Skipping the buildup, he ran to the door and flung it open, sprinting out into the wide expanse of house that belonged to Uchiha.

Azure eyes slid to and fro in search of a witness—his legs protesting slightly at the sudden use proceeding limited exploitation. He heard a sink running and charged toward the bathroom at the end of the hall. His speed proved hard to stop as he found the desired destination and with no further thought, Naruto let himself skid and fall, the friction of the wood floor and his body impeding any further movement.

Sasuke stuck his head out of the bathroom door and observed his teammate in utter bewilderment. "Naruto?" he called through his toothbrush, said utensil falling from his mouth onto the floor.

The blond laughed and stood, rubbing his slightly pained rear. "Yeah?"

The older teen was at a loss for a moment before a relieved sigh escaped his lips. "Never mind," the raven breathed, a glimpse of a smile gracing his mouth. He eyed the kitsune for a moment after spitting out the residual toothpaste, rinsing his teeth and replacing his toothbrush. "Hungry?"

Naruto paused, then shook his head slowly. "No…"

"Thought so. Oh well, you're out of luck," Sasuke drawled, making his way past the boy and toward the kitchen.

Pale hands delved into a bag and retrieved two bottles and a carton of liquid. Curiously, the blond approached, a mistake on his part. He didn't see it coming as Sasuke clamped a hand down onto his wrist. "Wha-" he cried in shock.

"Medicine time," came the response.

Naruto made a face. "Ew! Screw that! I'm not taking anything," he gagged, struggling against the other's seemingly iron-like grip.

"Yes you are."

"Like hell I will. You can't make me take anything," the defiance in his voice proved unyielding.

Sasuke sighed then smirked, twisting the arm behind the boy's back and pinning the other one with it. "Sure I can't." Utilizing his free hand, the Uchiha opened both of the bottles. He took a pill from one and popped it into his mouth, followed by a small sip from the other. Setting the containers down, he used the same hand to pinch Naruto's nose.

The blond panicked and struggled violently. '_What is he doing?_' he thought, as he opened his mouth to breath.

And then Sasuke's lips were on his. For a terrifying moment, Naruto didn't know what to do. His brain wasn't functioning properly as he acknowledged the fact that Sasuke's mouth was on his; an action that could be interpreted in so many ways he knew not where to begin.

He couldn't breathe. Suddenly a foreign sensation filled his mouth: liquid. No…medicine! He felt it rush into his cheeks accompanied by the brush of a pill on his tongue. And then it clicked. He had to swallow if he wanted to breathe. He faintly considered spitting it all out, but Sasuke's lips refused to budge; there was no escape. The taste in his mouth was ghastly. He felt his stomach twist uncomfortably, but it was nowhere near the strain his lungs put on him. He had to swallow.

The small Adam's apple on his throat dipped and rose as Naruto let the medicine run down. The moment it did, Sasuke relinquished his grip and pulled away, a wide smirk plastered on his face, eyes intent.

Naruto braced himself against the table for balance and caught his breath. The scarlet highlighted his face mockingly as he glared. "W-What was _that_ for?" he practically screamed, voice breaking a bit into that amusing feminine octave he had when he was frustrated.

"Oh please, as if we haven't kissed before," the raven intoned offhandedly, crossing his arms above his chest.

Naruto practically glowed red as he recalled the incident in the ninja academy. "T-That was an accident! I thought we agreed to never speak of that again."

"Correct. A silent agreement. But you made this seem like a first time thing, so I just moved to clarify everything." By now, the raven had already teared open the little carton and held it out for the younger boy. "Anyway, here. Drink this."

The kitsune glanced at the carton and groaned. "No…no more medicine…"

"It's not," Sasuke assured him. "It's milk. Tsunade prescribed it along with other stuff," he waved a hand at the bag. "It's packed with healthy crap, so you're going to drink it whether you want to or not. Mind you I will make you drink it, one way or another."

Naruto gulped at the threat and took the milk. Peeking down at it, he weighed it in his hands. The container wasn't that large, yet it felt to be around a pound. He felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. Nutrient packed was an understatement. This thing looked like a heart attack in a box! His eyes flicked up to see that the Uchiha heir stood unmoving. Ebony eyes directed all too real threats. He looked down again and brought the container to his lips.

The apprehension hit him hard, but he ignored the nausea and chugged it. The empty carton flew by Sasuke and the raven watched Naruto worriedly as he clapped a hand down on his mouth, trying not to throw up what he'd just consumed. A moment passed and the blond finally settled down. He looked up as Sasuke placed a different bottle onto the table. "For upset stomachs."

Naruto almost cried.

* * *

"Naruto!" Sakura cried jubilantly as she spied the blond and Sasuke walking down the street. The rush of relief that graced her was beyond anything she could've imagined. Just the sight of the blond walking on his own two feet without aid made her eyes moist. She shoved her way past pedestrians and attacked him with a hug, making sure to be gentle enough so as to not hurt him.

"S-Sakura-chan!" he sputtered.

She pulled away and held his face in her hands. "It's good to see you up and about," she paused, feeling his temperature, "warm…how do you feel?"

He blushed at the contact, shifting his eyes embarrassedly. "Uh, great! What are you up to?"

"Oh, me? I was just running some errands for my mother." Sakura gestured at the grocery bag she carried and smiled pleasantly. Turning to the older boy she said, "I need to talk to you," and, without another word, stepped a couple of feet away. The raven eyed her suspiciously but obliged and joined her, a tad reluctant to leave Naruto on his own for even a moment.

"What is it?" he grunted, clearly displaying his dissatisfaction.

Sakura frowned at his tone, but brushed it off as nothing. There was a pressing matter that had to be understood. She shot a glance at the kitsune before focusing on the teen in front of her. "I need to know what happened," she breathed in an undertone. He raised a brow in question and she sighed. "I know you know what I mean. What's the deal with Naruto? It's blatantly obvious that Tsunade and several others are keeping something secret and I have a feeling that you know what it is."

Sasuke froze for a moment, but reclaimed his outward composure instantly. He didn't know how to respond to that. She was being so forward about it and he knew that she wouldn't fall for any dumb excuse. Sakura was just too smart for her own good sometimes. "What makes you think I know anything?" he dodged.

The pink-haired kunoichi let out a brisk gruff, hands clenching into fists. "Don't play stupid with me; I'm _positive_ you know what's going on." She hated being so rude to her beloved Sasuke, but there was no getting around it.

His eye twitched with irritation. She wasn't going to give up. But this was far too delicate a matter to throw around like nothing. He hadn't even found the guts to confront Naruto himself about the matter, much less discuss it with others. He risked a glimpse at said blond, noting how out of place he looked amongst the strong bustle of the village. He seemed too fragile, too small; no one taking heed of his predicament or of his being. It was almost like everyone strived to ignore him…

"It's not my secret to tell, Sakura. This…issue is way beyond what you think. Stay out of things you don't understand." It was harsh, his words had come out like knives, and he'd intended them to. With everything the way it was, there couldn't be any added confusion or tension. The less she knew the better.

He turned and left her there in shock. There was no time to waste. He called to Naruto earning the immediate—and visibly elated—attention and proceeded to latch onto the boy's sleeve, dragging him along.

"Hey! What are you doing, teme? Stop pulling!" The string of protests fell on deaf ears Naruto soon noticed. The raven appeared to be in deep thought. Understanding that it was futile to challenge the Uchiha, he quickly waved a goodbye to his teammate before trudging grouchily behind Sasuke. He made sure that his displeasure was as transparent as possible.

* * *

**FINA-FREAKING-LY!**

**Chapter 6 is officially up after what, like, a **_**year**_**? You better believe I jacked my mom's computer and have been typing away instead of doing what I'm supposed to be doing! But I do NOT regret it.**

**I realize that it's a bit shorter than previous chapters, but I really just wanted to get it out. It's been WAY too long since I last updated anything.**

**But I'll be doing my best to update for all my fics. No promises, but I will definitely try! Please give me your feedback! I love you all! Awesome-uber-patient-readers-that-adore!**

**Sprints League this weekend! (crew race)**

**-Kit**


	7. Secrets Betray Sanity

Chapter 7:

Secrets Betray Sanity 

_He turned and left her there in shock. There was no time to waste. He called to Naruto earning the immediate—and visibly elated—attention and proceeded to latch onto the boy's sleeve, dragging him along._

"_Hey! What are you doing, teme? Stop pulling!" The string of protests fell on deaf ears Naruto soon noticed. The raven appeared to be in deep thought. Understanding that it was futile to challenge the Uchiha, he quickly waved a goodbye to his teammate before trudging grouchily behind Sasuke. He made sure that his displeasure was as transparent as possible._

* * *

They had been out for a while now, walking around the village with no particular destination. For the most part, Sasuke had lingered silently, mulling over things in his head and pilfering views at the immature kitsune. Beside him, Naruto had delighted in the fresh air and exercise—in spite of his being exhausted and Sasuke forcing food down his throat. The afternoon sun lay deep in the sky and melted the blue with folds of radiant colors; the late day zephyr slightly chilly as the streets died down to a few late pedestrians.

Naruto shivered a bit against the wind, but refused to let the other on. Epochs such as these, with Sasuke, were just…right. He sensed the older boy's presence take over and temperate the atmosphere about him in a sheltered sphere. Here, he and his friend could just settle down and spend time together, no pressures and no qualms. Another tremble down his spine—the fleeting rays of light providing modest shelter from the oncoming dusk air—and the Uchiha took notice.

"We should head back," he said, less of a proposition than a demand.

The blond groaned. "But I like it out here. Ne, we should walk around a bit longer. I'm already twelve you know, I can stay out late." He smiled cheekily at the older boy, whiskered scars accentuating his childish face.

Brow raised, the raven scrutinized the other. "Oh, dear. Stop the world, you're twelve years old! Congratulations on being, not only the shortest one, but the youngest too."

"Bastard. You're not that much older…" Yet another shiver and the blond wrapped his arms around his chest.

Sasuke reached over and touched his forehead. "Hmm, you're a little too warm for my comfort. I don't want you're fever spiking all of a sudden…"

"Sasuke."

The raven paused and met his eyes. The intensity at which they watched back was staggering. Naruto seized the other's gaze and drilled into his skull with those blazing blues. No response.

"What happened at Tsunade's?" It was a demand masquerading as an inquiry.

Sasuke felt a rock lodge in his throat. "What do you mean…she healed you." '_Fuck my voice.'_ He mentally cursed his wavering tone.

Those eyes bore deeper into his conscious—the wind picking up his blond locks gleaming violently in the evaporating sun. "_Other_ than that." There was an unmistakable allusion of anxiety in his voice, questioning, fearing. It made it hard for Sasuke to even look him straight in the eye. The rock in his throat expanded and he felt breathless.

The raven struggled to articulate, or even form something akin to words. His tongue felt swollen and fuzzy; he didn't understand why.

'_He can't know. Maybe I'm just being weird. He doesn't know, she wouldn't…_' Naruto contemplated.

Sasuke swallowed, his external composure only vaguely shaken. He realized that this was the most ideal time to confront the boy about his being a host. But then, he himself wasn't mentally prepared for it. The topic had already exceeded the point of "delicate", amplified into something much more profound.

Naruto's gaze intensified; anxiety now a visible presence behind those flecked blues. It had to be now. There was no way around it. Sasuke took a deep breath and faced the boy, his nerves at breaking point. He felt his heartbeat race as the words shaped on his lips and spilled out. To his surprise, they came out relaxed, not at all betraying the way he felt. For this he was immeasurably thankful.

_No._

Within the first words Naruto had lost all coherent thoughts. All he could see was the dark figure that was Sasuke. All he could hear was the deafening roar of blood in his ears. All he could feel was the prickling cold that attacked his body. All he knew was fear.

The dread was like nothing he'd ever felt before. The sheer strength of it drove the breath out of him. Sasuke knew. He _knew_, and Tsunade had told him. She _betrayed_ him! Of all the people in the world, the last person he'd wanted to know was Sasuke. And that nightmare had now risen from the murky crevasses of his horrors and burst out into reality.

_NO!_

His body started to shake so violently it bordered on convulsing. Sasuke paused, frightened at the sudden reaction. He'd been so preoccupied with telling the boy that he knew that it'd passed his attention. Naruto's eyes were wide and Sasuke knew it was bad.

The Uchiha was about to soothe the younger ninja when Naruto bolted. Two seconds passed before Sasuke gathered his thoughts enough to chase after him.

Naruto was unthinkably quick. It seemed impossible considering his condition, but nonetheless, Sasuke found it hard to tail him. Fueled by absolute fear, the blond genin couldn't bring himself to stop even when his vision would blur for a few seconds, his footing would falter slightly. The air would expel from his lungs in ragged gasps. It was all over. His secret was exposed and there was no turning back on it, no changing what had dribbled out from lips.

Sasuke made one last burst to catch him and found his fingers latched onto fabric. He never saw it coming. The rasengan came out of nowhere as Naruto wheeled around, eyes wide and terrified, body tense like a bow. There was naught hesitation as the attack rounded to strike him…

…The screech was deafening as two knives of power collided in such proximity—liquid irises had never seen such transparent sentiment than in those flittering moments. The pain, the _fear_ and outrage was undeniable in a connection that lasted but nothing. The unity shattered and two frames were blasted in separate.

Sasuke had seen more than he could have ever expressed in words then. The instant ache of his back slamming against the side of a building remained the last notion in his consciousness—the residual numbness of the chidori rippling through his arm. Naruto was _terrified_ of him, of his knowing, and it twisted the raven's stomach to consider it.

The boy was struggling to regain his footing, unable to find the energy to control his limbs in the fashion he desired. "Damnit!" he cursed his legs that trembled and shifted awkwardly beside him. "Move…MOVE!" A frustrated whimper filtered through clenched teeth, more animal than human. "Why won't you _move_? …Move…please…please move…" Irises bled with sorrow. His cries were pathetic and gut wrenching; his fists beating the earth beneath him and lifting a cloud of dirt.

Again Sasuke approached, this time slowly, deliberately. He touched the child's shoulder and Naruto's fist connected with his jaw, not terrible, but punishing nonetheless. The Uchiha swallowed the collecting blood in his mouth with a grimace, and gripped the intruding extremity. Pulling the hand away he caught the second swing.

"Naruto. Look at me."

The demand was met with deaf ears as the other struggled against his living bindings, breathlessly trying to regain dominance over his legs in order to break free. He couldn't meet the older boy's eyes. He couldn't look at him, or the bystanders that had started to appear around them. They were all watching him, judging him. They must know the truth. Just like Sasuke did. They must've come to hurt him, kill him, _hate_ him! He was caged in now, no way out. This was the end, he knew. But despite all his fears of being hurt, the most apprehension lay with their abandoning of and hatred toward him. That was the worst of it all. He would rather grovel at their feet for beatings than to be ignored again. Anything was better than that rigidly imposed isolation of which he was so grievously subjected to. And if he lost Sasuke, the only one he considered to be a true friend, well, then he would surely die inside; voided of any desire to continue to live.

It occurred to him that his dreams were hopeless. Everything he'd strived for, cleaved to, was loose ground beneath his feet. He was in an abyss. Dark and suffocating. He saw the Moon, crescent and grinning at him in a horrible way, laughing twistedly at his fate over its grotesque appearance. Running proved futile as the ground gave way into his worst nightmares. Hand outstretched, he sought desperately for a hold, for any substantial grip that would save him from this ghastly fall. But there was none. Nothing would help him. There was no escape from this hell and he was doomed.

He was a demon, a monster. Just like they'd all told him since the beginning. He was a mistake that never should have existed. Those hateful eyes would never change, would never see…_him_. The fall was never ending. It went on and on and _on_ without any inkling of its conclusion. Death was now a desired prospect. He could only pray its ghostly hands would take him and squeeze the life out of his sin of a body. He was blasphemy at its purest—the rawest kind of evil. How ever did he think he could be accepted? Was this just a hollow delusion? A comfort he'd shelled himself in so as to escape this end result?

The Moon's laughter was haunting. He felt teeth on his skin and cried out. His eyes met the hideous creatures that tore at him, relishing drunkenly at his leaking blood, breaking bone upon bone into shattered fragments of sanity, hate eyes watching from within the darkness.

He examined the red blobs that floated up away from him in their weightless dance, slowly freezing his body into a coma he would never awaken from. But the creatures would not allow him the gift of death—that was too merciful. The actions were repeated, again and again, and yet death never came. The instant realization hit him he screamed—a high, broken, animalistic scream that only shadowed his utter panic. _.._

_SLAP_.

The blond had to steal several moments in order to reclaim his bearings. From beneath the smudged view of reality he perceived the extreme discomposure of his body. Hyperventilation was a significant problem as it reduced his level of consciousness ever so unyieldingly. Palms pressed against the sides of his face and it was with heavy effort that he focused on the blurred form before him.

"Breath slowly…" the soothing resonance implored gently.

Naruto did what he was told and exacted control of his lungs.

"Good. Now try to focus on me…Naruto," the voice instructed.

Slightly disconnected, the blonde's brain had him nod; cerulean orbs slowly gaining the clearance they once owned.

Two minutes: held breath.

Seven minutes: shaking hands.

Nine minutes…

"…Sa…suke…?"

* * *

**Alrighty!**

**How did you like it? I have to say, I did this instead of doing the 3 homework assignments for Algebra II Hon, Physics classwork make-up, 2 English essays, and taking a shower…(I'm taking one in the morning :P )**

**I thought it would be best to just have the confrontation now instead of prolonging it for another chapter. Chapter 6 was just leading into it so it seemed to fit.**

**For my dear readers, I thank you for having interest and reading this story of mine. If I may ask a favor, PLEASE give me some feedback. It's truly motivational and it helps me know how you all feel about the story so far. It also helps with my updating faster. So please REVIEW! I BEG OF YOU!**

**Haha! :3 Next Chappy up….um…someday…**

**-Kit**


	8. Holding On

Chapter 8:

Holding On 

_The blond had to steel several moments in order to reclaim his bearings. From beneath the smudged view of reality he perceived the extreme discomposure of his body. Hyperventilation was a significant problem as it reduced his level of consciousness ever so unyieldingly. Palms pressed against the sides of his face and it was with heavy effort did he focus on the blurred form before him._

_"Breath slowly…" the soothing resonance implored gently._

_Naruto did what he was told and exacted control of his lungs._

_"Good. Now try to focus on me…Naruto," the voice instructed._

_Slightly disconnected, the blond's brain had him nod; cerulean orbs slowly gaining the clearance they once owned._

_Two minutes: held breath._

_Seven minutes: shaking hands._

_Nine minutes…_

_"…Sa…suke…?"_

* * *

The raven almost collapsed with relief. Naruto was back. He observed the boy's pitiful manifestation: knees bent as he sat, legs split awkwardly at the sides of his hips, arms limp with the back of his hands resting oddly on the ground where they had fallen; dirt, tears and aversion present on his face.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile, blinking away any hints of moisture behind his eyelids. He moved his hands down from the blonde's face to his shoulders, squeezing them a little.

"Yes," he sighed joyously, black orbs riveted on the younger ninja's eyes, hating every tear that pooled over them. It was hard to not to be spellbound by those alizarin giants; so pure, so delicate in their loveliness; enclosed exquisitely by those thick, dark lashes and blushed cheeks.

Naruto squinted as if in ache and looked down. The raven's gaze was shattered. The Jinchuriki observed the dirt below him lacking recognition of it, naïve to the constant trembling of his body. Everything was fitting back into its proper sequence. Veracity was skulking up on him once more.

An intake of breath, gazes locking once more and, "…Don't…don't hate me…" The Uchiha stared in horror. "Please…" the boy continued pathetically, suddenly clutching Sasuke's tattered shirt, biting down on his lips in between words to hold back the sobs, "I…p-promise…I'll _fix _myself! I won't be a sin anym-more!" Wisps of blood began to make themselves present as the boy continued to abuse his mouth. Naruto moved one of his hands and gripped his collar. "You can…" he struggled to push out the words, nausea wrenching his gut. "You…can _p-punish_ me…if you want to…" He was gasping now, eyes implausibly wide. "I've been…beaten before. It's okay…"

With that, Sasuke lost it. "SHUT UP!" he roared.

Flinch.

"Shut up! Don't you _ever_ say something like that again!" Naruto froze under the sheer fury of Sasuke's form. The prodigy resisted the urge to claw into his shoulders and shake the boy. He was beyond livid. How those words could have come from Naruto's mouth struck him in the bones and made him burn. He was appalled. Not at Naruto himself, but at what he must have gone through to make him say that, believe that.

_Fix_ himself? _Sin_? _Punish_ him? He had to grit his teeth and bolt his gaze onto the shivering figure before him so as to not crack every bystanding human around him into a cold and bloody mess. He knew that the whole village had partaken in this, this atrocity—a select few discounted. They were talking now, mumbling and questioning amongst themselves. What nosy little insects. He could hear their voices. Those putrid sounds that resonated from the discriminating holes on their faces. He felt like shoving a kunai down those holes until nothing but red would come out.

Naruto coughed softly, abruptly, his throat feeling constricted with fear and exhaustion.

That tiny sound pierced the Uchiha's thoughts, calming him enough to focus on what needed to be done. Any minute now Anbu would emerge and things would go from bad to worse. He couldn't risk questions. And, right at that moment, he couldn't risk his self-control around others.

The black-haired teen examined the blond briefly. So many things were stabbing at his brain, none of which he wanted to consider at that very second. His chest felt tight with frustration and he knew they had to escape, somewhere. With a sigh, Sasuke seized Naruto by the arm and heaved him up, passing the arm around his shoulders. The kitsune's legs were hardly straight when Sasuke hoisted him up onto his back. It was a swift and effortless motion; so fluid were his maneuvers that everything seemed to blend together and, suddenly, they were flying from rooftop to rooftop.

Everything. Fell. Silent.

There was a span of time where nothing penetrated either boy's psyche. Both were mentally isolated. An impregnable obstruction erected itself around them, enforced by the budding dusk and chill of the night. For this undersized period, each was left to endure within their own selves.

Naruto fretted. He strived feebly to cleave back his tears, but could only manage to partially mute his whimpers. It was far too much for him to cope with. In spite of his efforts hide his pain, the boy's body betrayed his every sentiment.

His thoughts were a teased minefield. No matter how he looked at it, something dreadful was bound to occur. Even now, with the close proximity of himself and Sasuke, he anticipated the proceeding abandonment, the abhorrence and seclusion that would unquestionably follow. Naruto wasn't certain if he was relieved to be so near to Sasuke, or terrified that this was just the foundation of a tragic end.

Sasuke knew. He'd discovered Naruto's darkest clandestine: he was a _monster_, in every sense. He was the host for the nine-tailed fox, the demon that had wreaked havoc on all of Konoha those numerous years ago, and now he'd become that very demon, the very creature he'd so dreadfully tried to smother. The Kyubii's ghastly guffaw was almost in earshot. He could feel its iniquity swathe him in a hot and suffocating cloak. Nothing could depict the nakedness he felt at his exposure.

'_Sometimes I just want it all to end…'_

The cold air chafed roughly against his skin eliciting shudders. An impulsive urge to press himself nearer to Sasuke was met with violent controversy. What would happen if he did? Nothing good without doubt. Sasuke was too much for him. He could never delude himself into thinking that he even deserved to breathe the same air as the other. He felt dirty, foul. His unseemliness was his own being—everything about him was tainted.

He started to fidget. Sasuke was holding him too close. It seemed as if his legs—which were wrapped around Sasuke's waist—were a disease. His hands atop the Uchiha's shoulders hovered slightly, not wanting to touch the saint too much with his filthy fingers.

"Uh…" he gasped almost inaudibly as Sasuke unexpectedly tugged him closer, adjusting his hands under the blonde's rear, fists locked, not at all intruding on his privacy, so as to support the slipping kitsune.

Naruto felt the tears spring back up again. He couldn't take it much longer. He had to stop this lie. "S-Sasuke…?"

Aforementioned teen halted immediately at the sound of his name causing the small body atop him to crush against his back with residual momentum. Sasuke craned his neck back to observe the other boy. A wave of emotions overcame him the instant obsidian met with azure. He was calm and tense, frustrated and at ease, blissful and troubled all at once. He couldn't bring himself to utter a word, only stare.

The intensity of Sasuke's gape elicited a sweltering blush from Naruto, who never anticipated such a look. For a fleeting instant he was content with that, and just that. But as his mind laid its fingers on it, he realized that no such gaze was meant for someone like him, and he was crushed.

He blinked rapidly, gathering his thoughts, hoping to articulate. "I'm…I'm s-sorry…" he choked, unable to finish. Once more he succumbed to his fear, his sorrow and self-hatred and broke down.

Sasuke couldn't watch the boy cry. It was too heart wrenching; it made his bones ache. He had to make those tears stop. He had to show Naruto that he didn't care if he had the nine-tails within him, or even if he _was_ the Kyubii. Nothing would change how he felt about the boy.

Letting the boy down onto the cool tiles of the roof, Sasuke lowered himself to face him. It was like the sun and the moon. One was the light, warm, childlike, and innocent, temperate yet fierce, the other a covert shadow, silent, strapping and lethal. But now, that sun was falling; fainting in its former unyielding magnificence. Seeing this, the Uchiha instituted the resolve to press onward. He would accept the kitsune's pain and shoulder it, wipe away his tears and hold his being—both physical and mental—tightly and covetously. He would be the boy's sanity.

"No, Naruto," he whispered shaking his head. The boy looked up at him. "I should be the one apologizing. I wasn't there for you." The blonde's jaw fell open, shock written transparently across his eyes. Sasuke smiled, a sad smile that betrayed such unbearable sentiment. He leaned over and pressed his forehead against Naruto's own, the younger shinobi's gaze enormous and lucid. "You…don't understand. I…" obsidian orbs lit up, but it was too soon, "I will _never_ abandon you."

Naruto exhaled shakily, lips quivering, eyes glassy. "Sa…su…ke…." he breathed innocently as the older male held his face. The raven responded with a light nudge against his skull.

The kitsune touched the ravens hand with his own, shockwaves of empathy resonating within the contact for both boys; a simple gesture with such profound significance veiled below the surface. And the next thing he knew, Naruto collapsed against him, eyes bleeding away his qualms and anxiety, different tears, unlike the forlorn ones before, that in some way made Sasuke settle down.

* * *

Kiba rapped on Sasuke's door relentlessly. He was always one of the impatient ones, and at this moment the word "patience" was not in his vocabulary. Sure it was quite late an hour—ten perhaps, ten thirty—but that never registered in the rash ninja's mind. He wasn't angry at Sasuke or anything. He only wanted to say hey and ask him about Naruto and himself. It was funny how he'd not seen the likes of either of them for a while now. Especially that blond haired genin; it was particularly weird not hearing that high-pitched voice echoing through the village streets. In any case, the brunette had decided to drop by the Uchiha's because it was closer.

Two more intolerable knocks before the door flew open to reveal a wide-eyed…blond?

"Naruto?"

"Ah, K-Kiba! What are you doing here?" the boy questioned nervously, not meeting the others gaze but instead looking at his feet.

"That's my line. How come you're at Sasuke's? I haven't seen either of you in forever," the dog-nin smiled curiously, glancing into the darkness within the home before resting his sight on the boy facing him, wondering at the awkwardness Naruto was radiating.

"I…um…Sasuke is sleeping right now…he sorta just…he hasn't been out for that long. I don't think he's been sleeping well for some time and…" Naruto braced himself against the doorframe, peeking back inside before slipping out and shutting the door behind him, "and I don't want to wake him up."

Akamaru whined into Kiba's ear from his shoulder. Slit chocolate eyes were dubious. He restrained himself from saying it aloud, but the dog was right, something was off about Naruto. He was rather gauche, and, as he continued to examine, the boy was so much…smaller, in every aspect than he remembered. Pushing his observations aside for the moment Kiba offered a hearty grin, slapping his hand down on the blond's bony shoulder.

Naruto faltered a bit at the force of the brunette's hand, but returned a shy smile.

"Well, since sleeping beauty's out and you look dead there's not much I can bother you with…Oh! How about, you join us at the lake tomorrow? Uptight over there is welcome too."

"The lake?"

"Yeah! I convinced Shikamaru, Choji and Lee to hang out at the lake with me tomorrow afternoon, ya' know, just to swim and spar." He shrugged nonchalantly, idly petting Akamaru. "I think Lee will probably force everyone else to show up too, it'll be like a party. How 'bout you guys come too?"

Naruto wasn't sure what to tell him, he was still jarred by the afternoon's happenings; he honestly couldn't see that far into the future at that moment. "I'm not sure…"

"Eh, just show up if you can. We'll be at the lake southwest of the entrance around four-ish," he tread back down the entry steps, "Hope you can make it…See ya!" With that the dog-boy took off, leaving Naruto tongue-tied, for lack of a better word.

Quietly he slipped back inside, shutting the door slowly and locking it. Leaning against it he sucked in a breath and let it out shakily. Safe.

"Why was that mutt here?"

"Eep!" Maybe not so safe. Naruto looked up at the sleep ravaged raven meekly. He loomed over the blond, rubbing away the residual drowsiness with the palm of his hand and scratching his stomach with the other. Realizing that he'd not been answered, the Uchiha peered down at the boy, whom pressed himself against the door further instantly. He raised a brow.

"Hm? Wait, what time is it?" the older teen asked, looking around for a clock not in sight.

"T-Ten forty-two."

"Oh! Did I fall asleep? When did I?" Now he felt bad. Had he really been that exhausted that he'd inadvertently passed out, leaving the clearly distressed kitsune to fair in silence alone?

"About an hour ago…" The meek responses were getting to him and he sighed, apologizing softly, taking hold of the boy's hand and leading him to the couch. Settling himself into a comfortable arrangement, he waited for the other to follow suit.

Running a hand through his midnight locks, he contemplated his words before risking the question once Naruto was situated before him. When he'd finally organized himself, he faced the other and asked, gently, "How…is the nine-tails kept within you?"

Naruto twitched at the unexpected question, but knew there was no way out. Besides, Sasuke deserved to know. After all he'd been through, he'd never come across someone he felt so close to like he did Sasuke. "My body acts as it's…ah, cage, holding it in with some sort of seal. I'm not really sure, but it's supposed to help me cope with its chakras, else it would break free…" He was amazed at the fluidity of his candid verbal prose. He presumed it was because he was just so tired of holding it all in, of having to lie about it and cleaving his tongue. Perhaps some part of him really wanted to just spill the legitimacy of the issue and rip the pressure from his chest; leave him a free-floating object susceptible to any influence.

Sasuke watched him intently. "Seal?"

Naruto nodded. "It shows up sometimes…When I first trained with Ero-Senin—Jiraiya—he had me focus my chakra so I could learn how to walk on water. Sometimes when I focus enough, I think the seal shows up because Jiraiya did something weird and afterward it was like walking on water was second nature, I didn't have to think about it at all…" He drifted off, reminiscing.

This piqued the Uchiha's interest. "Naruto, where is the seal?" A tan hand gripped his jacket above his belly, the orange fabric creasing and folding appropriately. He didn't want to be rash, but he couldn't help himself. Placing his hand atop Naruto's he dared to ask, "Could I see it? The seal?"

Naruto paused, shocked. Sasuke wanted to _see_ the seal? He couldn't fathom why. Some since of adversity arose at this abrupt request, but as he toyed with the thought, he realized that the raven meant nothing spiteful, only thoughtful curiosity. Naruto exhaled shakily and fumbled with the zipper on his jacket. Once undone, he clumsily lifted the black t-shirt beneath, his hands shaking, exposing his tiny waist.

Sasuke effectively withheld a blush but there was nothing abnormal to be seen on Naruto's stomach. He looked up to see a slightly distraught kitsune. He smiled warmly at the boy, leaning over and pressing down on Naruto's shoulders, leading his body down until the blond lay on his back. "Just calm down and try and focus your chakra." Naruto nodded timidly and clasped his hands together, his fingers interlacing to form a sign, helping him center himself.

The blond let his breathing relax into a slow tempo, focusing his energy, feeling the prickling of power converge in his abdomen. Sasuke watched in fascination and slight fear as the spiraling black lines materialized around Naruto's navel. Obsidian orbs were entranced by this fearsome yet elegant array of markings that engulfed most of the boy's petit torso. Without thinking he let his hand trail across it, following its lines to the center at his bellybutton then back out and past the intricate scorings that enclosed it. The skin was soft and uniquely warm beneath his fingers; Sasuke had to distract himself momentarily.

But the display was brief. The seal faded into warm creamy skin once more. Naruto was panting, eyes closed, trying to regulate his breathing. His cheeks were flushed, skin mildly clammy. His hands dropped down, shaking slightly. "Naruto!" Sasuke called out frantically, concern flashing hotly in his gut.

A small hand reached up and the raven seized it in his own, calling out his name, again and again with renewed vigor. The blond peeked up at Sasuke and forced out a weak laugh. "S'kay…" he slurred lightly, looking embarrassed. "I…juss feel a bit…tired." He exhaled deeply, his breath extremely hot against the raven's senses. Those blond locks were splayed wistfully across his face and the couch cushion, a tad moist with the boy's sweat, making him look so frail and lovely; an angel with a golden halo.

The older ninja relaxed, letting out a sincere "Good," and rubbed the back of his neck, a habit of Naruto's that he'd recently picked up. "I'll get you something cool to drink before we get you off to bed." Naruto smiled modestly, accepting the boy's assistance in sitting up and watched dreamily as Sasuke raced off to the kitchen for the drinks. "Oh, and, Naruto?" The young boy looked up. "This doesn't change anything. I'll still be here for you, always," came the tender words from across the room, from the mouth of his dear Sasuke.

'_If there's a God up there, I pray that I don't wake up from this dream…'_ Naruto thought, blissful and innocent.

* * *

**Chapter 8 peoples!**

**Aw! Thought I'd leave off with a sweet little bit. Naruto, although still wary of the solidity of his bond with Sasuke, still hopes desperately that this "dream" will never end. He's just TOO CUTE!**

**I'm not really sure if this chapter portrayed everything that I wanted it to…but overall, I do feel that it was a solid chapter. It **_**was**_** a bit of a stutter to write, so as to say that sometimes I wasn't sure how to really portray what I wanted the characters to express. Regardless, it was exciting to do, but sort of weird.**

**Because of this, I would really appreciate some honest feedback. TELL MEH WHAT CHUU THINKS! :3**

**Also, this was a longer chapter yaaaaayyyyyyy! Exciting stuff. The ending was a tad precarious though.**

**Until next chappy! (in the most likely Not-so-near future…bad updater…sorry!)**

**-Kit**


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